Forever Home: A Luke and Callista Story
by Ambassador Cara Jade
Summary: What if Callista had gotten her powers back? New content in all chapters! Please R/R
1. Return of the Force

Author's note: This story is a work three years in the making. The original was written by at least fifteen authors, and this, the "Special Edition" if you will, was done by Jedi15 and myself. It's also the starting point for our trilogy, which also includes _Maternal Instincts _and _Shadowlight. _We hope you enjoy it!

Forever Home

A Luke and Callista Story

Edited by Jedi15 and Ambassador Cara Jade

Part 1

The Force existed in all things; at least, that was what the Masters of the Jedi taughttheir students. They never thought to consider the possibility that something would cease to exist in its light, because even after death, everything was present and "Force-full". They never thought that someone could fall from its graces, be blind to it. As far as the records told, it had only happened once, during the Great Sith War, to a Knight named Ulic Qel-Droma, because he had murdered his brother in cold blood.

_And what have _I _done? _Callista Galexi Nogati thought bitterly. _I did not steal this body; it was given to me. Surely that could not be a crime, to accept such a selfless gift._

It had been two weeks since the _Eye of Palpatine_ had been destroyed. Two weeks since Cray Mingla, ready to die and cross over to the Other Side, bequeathed her body to Callista so that they could both be with the men they had loved.

But something had gone wrong. Terribly, terribly wrong.

Callista had never existed outside the Force. Indeed, it had been her only companion for thirty years, when she herself had not even had a body in which she could walk, speak, fight, or love. Yes, it was wonderful to be alive again, but exactly _how_ alive she was remained in question.

Luke Skywalker, the Jedi Master she loved, and the man who had freed her from her prison of circuits and wire, had assured her that an answer could be found, that she would one day feel the Force flow through her. But every day, the orange giant of Yavin disappeared beneath the horizon, and Callista found herself in the darkness of night and the darkness of her own living nightmare. Every time she curled up in the arms of her beloved Luke, she could not connect with him and share dreams with him, as they had done on the _Eye_.

Callista was alone in her room; the hour of midnight had come and gone. Fatigue was finally beginning to wash over her, and she readied for bed. She moved with an awkward grace, mired by exhaustion and disappointment, making her motions seem like a peaceful waltz.

Luke was still in the library, poring over manuscripts and Holocrons, searching for an answer to her blindness. She had told him to stop for the night, but he had shaken his head and sent her to bed. The warmth and love of his goodnight kiss still tingled on her lips, and she smiled in spite of herself.

He would be up soon enough.

Callista was asleep before she had even finished pulling the covers over her thin frame, and the blankets pooled around her knees, but she barely noticed.

Like every other night before, Callista dreamed. She saw faces that haunted her memory from a life left behind many years ago. She saw a young man with blond hair and green eyes, a woman with long brown hair, sparkling blue eyes, and pale lips, and wished she could remember their names. They had been good friends, and their lives had ended unexpectedly and tragically. Even now, the sight of their faces brought a bittersweet smile to her face.

She saw her Master, Djinn Altis, whom she could never forget, even if she had wanted to. He stared at her, his eyes piercing beneath level, black brows. He did not speak, but a terrible sadness plagued his wizened features.

_What do you know, Master? _Callista thought. _Can you help me? Can you save me?_

He did not answer, but faded away in blue light that intensified, brightened, became violet and then crimson red, like blood. In her dream, someone screamed, and Callista sat up, completely awake, gasping in shock.

Something shattered, breaking the stillness and drawing a tiny gasp from Callista. She looked at the windowsill, where light was just beginning to seep into the room. Luke kept a vase of Massassi irises there, but where the vase had once been, there were only a few wet flowers, a puddle of water that dripped to the floor, splashing shards of the Ithorian pottery.

Callista sighed, expelling the breath that had been collecting in her lungs. Moments later, though, she drew it all back in, this time in realization and shock.

As if it had always been there, she felt the Force winding through her veins, imbuing her with power and a sense that she had almost given up on ever feeling again.

She half-laughed, half-sobbed as she climbed out of bed and fell to her knees. It was wonderful, like diving into a cool, clear ocean after walking across the desert for many years. She felt everything..._everything _that existed around her. She shuddered as she felt the residual presence of someone in her room, someone who had left very recently.

She turned away from it, forgetting to wonder who it had been or what they had wanted. Instead, she rested her head in her hands and wept tears of relief and unspeakable joy.

It turned out to be a beautiful day on Yavin 4.

Callista stood on the rooftop of the Great Temple, viewing the broad green vista of the Massassi jungle with a joyous smile on her face. The morning wind was cool and welcome on her face, lightly brushing at her malt-brown hair, the slowly rising sun shedding its warmth on her skin.

She could hear the many sounds of the jungle animals as the morning overtook the night. The barely heard chirps of whisper birds, the buzzes of the predatory piranha-beetles and spider-anglers as they hunted their prey, the soft mating sounds of runyips and woolamanders. There were so many creatures of all shapes and sizes—thousands, perhaps even more—on this small jungle moon that Callista was overwhelmed. Yavin 4 was plentiful in life.

And with life came the Force.

The Force was created by all living things, as Master Djinn had taught her so long ago, in another lifetime. Without them, the Force could not exist. And indeed, as Callista stood in silence atop the ancient ziggurat, she could feel the thousands upon thousands of animal life forms that crawled, flew, and slithered on this moon. The Force was alive in the plants as well, in the twisted, enormous Massassi trees that rose high into the sky like natural skyscrapers. From the largest creature to the tiniest cell, the Force was alive within them all.

And Callista was finally able to connect to them again.

She could literally _feel _the Force surrounding her, penetrating her, binding her to the enormous web of life that made up the universe. It was a wonderful and thrilling feeling...and also a staggering and overwhelming one as well.

She could also feel the students beginning to awake from their sleep, ready to start another day of learning the ways of the Jedi. She felt Kyp Durron, a man with a tragic past who had once fallen victim to the dark side, and eventually won his way back to the light. She felt Tionne, a silver-haired young woman who loved to sing and was fascinated with the lore and history of the ancient Jedi Knights. Cilghal, an ambassador from the ocean world of Calamari and Jedi healer. Streen, an old hermit from Bespin who rarely talked, even to his closest friends, and had a special ability in manipulating and controlling the weather. Kirana Ti, a Clan Sister from Dathomir, a true warrior, even without the Force. Kam Solusar, a quiet and often ill-tempered Jedi who had also once been an agent of evil, but was redeemed before the dark side could destroy him from within. Dorsk 81, a clone from Khomm, uncertain, and even frightened, of his newly discovered powers, but slowly growing in self-confidence and reliance.

And then there was Luke Skywalker.

Callista smiled as she saw Luke awaken in her mind's eye. She felt his connection to the Force, strong and powerful enough to rival her own. There were so many things she wanted to say to him, so much that not even a lifetime could do. She considered speaking to him through the Force—which would be quite an unexpected surprise for him!—but chose to wait until after morning meal. Luke would no doubt be shocked by the good news, and Callista herself still could not believe that it had truly happened. She kept expecting to wake up, to realize that this was all just a dream...

As she watched the magnificence of the gas giant Yavin dwarf the sky, Callista felt the joy within her grow. Just the night before, she had been consumed with hopelessness and despair, resigned to the fact that she would never regain her lost powers, that she would have to live out the rest of her new life incomplete. Her hopes of reclaiming her powers had become a distant wish, one that would never come to pass.

And now...it had come true.

Callista traced the fingers of her hand through her curly brown hair, the memories of the _Eye of Palpatine _and Cray still fresh in her mind. No trace of Cray's blond remained in her hair, a sure testament that the woman who had once lived in this body was now gone, joined with her lover Nichos on the Other Side. Her death had been an act of nobility and courage, and Callista would never forget her for it.

And still...she could not help but feel slightly guilty for what had happened. Although Cray had willingly chosen to die—and perhaps had even been a bit suicidal—and had given her body up for another...deep down inside, Callista wished that her friend had not died. She could still remember her first day on Yavin 4, when she and Luke had told the students that Cray and Nichos had died, and that Callista now inhabited her body. She could still remember the shock, disgust, and horror on the faces of the students, particularly Kyp and Tionne, as they realized what had happened to their friend.

_For all we know, she killed Cray and stole her body!_

Callista cringed as Kyp's angry words returned in her mind. Of course, she had told the students the truth of what had happened, and everyone had eventually accepted her. She and Kyp were now good friends, with Kyp even looking up to her as a surrogate mother, much how he considered Luke his surrogate father. Tionne, though, remained distant, obviously still mourning the death of Cray. She and Cray had been very good friends before the _Eye of Palpatine_, and the silver-haired minstrel was still hurting from her death. Callista could not sense any anger or hostility from the younger woman anymore, but she knew it would take some time for Tionne to finally begin trusting her.

A quick succession of beeps and chirps from behind startled her out of her reverie, and Callista turned to see Artoo-Detoo rolling on his little wheels to stand beside her, inquiring in his mechanical language if she was all right.

"I'm fine," she said, patting the astromech droid's round head. "Thank you, Artoo. I'll be down in a few more minutes."

Artoo bleeped in acknowledgment and left Callista alone with her thoughts.

_I can't wait until everyone finds out!_ she thought with excitement, imagining the looks on the Jedi's faces when she toldthem the good news. _They're all going to be so happy! And Luke..._

But the happiness receded as the images from Callista's dream resurfaced. The faces she had seen...especially Djinn's. She remembered the somber melancholy look in his eyes, as if the old Master had been trying to tell her something she did not know...

_But what? _she thought, a small knot of concern in her gut.

Callista pushed the images of Djinn far back in her mind. This was not a time for worrying about something as trivial as a dream. She had finally regained her Force powers, which was what she and Luke wanted to most. This was a time for celebrating!

And as she turned and left the Massassi rooftop, she was going to do just that.

The Jedi Academy was alive with activity, as the young students awoke and got ready for another day of classes. Callista wandered down the halls of the ancient temple, the sunlight streaming from the windows lighting up the dark halls, as the students rushed from their quarters and headed downstairs for the cafeteria. Already, Callista could smell fried Corellian potato-pancakes and runyip patties, and she realized for the first time how hungry she was. She had not eaten much in the past few weeks, and a good meal was just what she needed.

_After I tell Luke, _she decided, feeling a sudden burst of anxious anticipation. She could already imagine the look on Luke's face...

As she nodded to several students who rushed past her—smelling breakfast, too, no doubt—she watched as Luke stepped out of his room, already dressed for the morning classes. He wore his brown Jedi robe, which was worn with use and age, his lightsaber attached to his belt. He used his fingers to comb back his sandy-blond hair, and smiled when he saw Callista approach him.

"Good morning, beauty. Sleep well?" Luke greeted her, kissing her gently.

Callista smiled, and nodded. "Better than usual." The tears came again, and she took Luke's hand in her own, gripping it tightly, and said, "Feel this, Luke. You will never believe it."

Luke smiled, slight confusion shining in his beautiful blue eyes. ""What is it, Callista?"

"You'll see." She smiled as she closed her eyes, and pressed her forehead to his, opening herself to the Force, _Do you hear me?_

_Callista? _She could feel his surprise hitting her like a wave... as well as his hope. _Is that you?_

_It is, my love._ She opened her eyes again and, stepping back, saw that Luke was staring at her in shock. All the words in the galaxy could not have described the flood of emotions that crossed his face as the realization finally got to him. He looked at his love, and Callista could see tears running down his cheeks.

"Callista," he said, his voice choking. His hands touched her shoulders, as if testing to see that this was really happening. For a long time, neither of them could speak, the sheer shock of it all rendering them incapable of speech. "How—"

He did not even get a chance to finish, because Callista kissed him with all the strength and love she could muster. At first, Luke was unprepared for it, but soon began to relax, slowly wrapping his arms around her back, as he returned to kiss with equal passion. A thousand conversations passed silently between them in the space of a few seconds, as their connection to each other through the Force—something they had not felt since the _Eye of Palpatine_—returned and strengthened and grew.

When they finally broke from the kiss, Luke's tears had increased, and he was smiling through them, barely able to speak, pure joy lighting the smile on his handsome face. "Callista, this is wonderful! I was beginning to think it was hopeless! How did it happen? What did you do?"

"I don't know!" Callista said, as she kissed him again. She could feel Luke's thoughts, a million questions he wanted to ask her all at once, and impossible for her to answer them all. "I can't explain what happened...I was sleeping, and I had this strange dream. I thought I saw...my old Master."

"Djinn Altis?"

Callista nodded, joy and giddiness etched on her beautiful face. "He just...stared at me. He looked sad, as if he knew something I didn't."

Luke took a deep breath, the joy slowly giving away to concern. Djinn Altis...what did that mean? He had had visions of his old Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, several times before in the past, and each time, they had meant something significant to him, something that would change his life forever. "What do you think he wanted?" he asked her. "You don't think _he_ was the one who restored your powers, do you?"

Callista shrugged. "I suppose that's possible. I woke up then, and I could feel the presence of someone else in the room...somebody _familiar_. Somebody I knew."

The fact that there had been someone in Callista's room gave him a moment's apprehensive pause, but then he shook the thought away and waited for her to continue. "And then what?"

"I heard something shatter. I think the energy that converged when the Force returned to me smashed the Ithorian vase you kept near the window."

The concern Luke had been feeling was now gone, replaced by the earlier sense of delight. He looked at Callista, and could feel that she was happier right now than she had been for decades. It did not matter to him _how_ she had gotten her powers back. As far as they were both concerned, Callista was now whole, and they could both now live the rest of their lives together in happiness.

"Callista, this is so amazing," he said. "I mean, from a Master's view, this is the kind of event that happens once every _never_. It's a wonderful learning experience. And from a personal standpoint...well, I think you know how I feel about _that_. I couldn't be happier about this, or anything else, my love." He hugged Callista and kissed her gently before looking at her again. When he did, there was a mischievous glint in his eye. "But did you _have_ to break that vase?"

Callista laughed and slapped him playfully on the shoulder.

That afternoon, Luke did not see Callista at lunch.

He wandered into the hallway after most of the students had finished eating, and heard the sound of a lightsaber and remote blasts. He smiled to himself, and knew instantly who was in the training room. As he leaned against the door, he saw that he was right.

Callista stood amid three remotes, topaz lightsaber drawn and poised. For the first time since before she had awakened on the _Hunter's Luck_, he could sense her presence radiating in the Force.

It was a presence he relished.

Luke smiled as he watched his lover practice, remembering the look on everyone's faces when they had gathered in the Grand Audience Chamber after the morning meal, and watched as Callista—who just a day before had been shut off from the Force—effortlessly conjuring a fireball in the center of the room without even breaking a sweat. The students had been shocked, which slowly progressed into relief and joy, as Callista proudly displayed her newly regained powers.

It had been one of the happiest moments of his life.

Luke knew that she knew he was watching her, but she did not turn around until she had done a sufficient amount of showing off. She danced back and forth, successfully intercepting every shot fired from any of the three remotes.

After a moment, she shut them off and turned to Luke. Despite the sweat that covered her face, she was so unbelievably beautiful, her face and body perfectly sculpted, that Luke found himself breathless every time he looked into her eyes. "That was fun," she said with a broad grin. He had never seen her smile so widely.

He smiled back as he hugged her, and presented her with a deep kiss. "You want a living opponent?"

She looked at him with a gleam in her gray eyes. "If you're up for it. I feel like I can take on every Dark Jedi at once."

As Luke unhooked his lightsaber from his belt, he gave her a warning look. "The higher you build yourself, the farther you'll fall. Be careful."

She chuckled. "I know, I know. But it's still a great feeling, huh?"

Luke ignited his lightsaber and crossed it with hers. "It sure is."

Callista sat on her bed in her room, cleaning a small cut she had sustained on her lip from her practice spar with Luke. It wasn't grievous—she had endured far worse in her days as a Jedi before the _Eye of Palpatine_—but it still stung.

_S_he wiped the cut with an antiseptic, wincing as a small twinge seized her lips. _He sure does like to play rough, doesn't he?_

It had been a good exercise for them both, but in the end, Callista had triumphed. Of course, both had walked away with a couple of very minor wounds, which was to be expected in a lightsaber duel, even a practice one. Callista had lost count of all the times she had accidentally got hurt whenever she had sparred with Master Djinn, or one of the other students during her training on the _Chu'unthor_.

Through the Force, Callista could hear the other students in the Great Temple preparing for the evening meal. She would join them as soon as she was finished.

She could also feel Luke in their fresher, taking care of his own injuries. She allowed herself a quick smirk when she heard Luke gasp at the throbbing pain in his head from one of Callista's kicks. The spar had left them both sore, and a bit wiser. The next practice duel would be even more difficult to win for her, because Luke would be more wary of her and defend himself better against her attacks, having memorized most of her moves.

Callista's grin returned. _Of course, I'm not gonna make it any easier for him either,_ she thought, already looking forward to the next spar.

A cool draft blew through her bedroom window, causing goosebumps to spread across her naked arms. Callista shivered, and looked out the twelfth-story window, which gave her an excellent view of the jungle below. For some reason, that same familiar presence she had felt last night came back, stronger than before, and for a few seconds, Callista had a strange sensation that someone she could not see was watching her...

As she turned to look at herself in the mirror to check on her wound, trying not to think any further of it, she stared right into the eyes of Djinn Altis.

Callista gasped and stood up, shocked speechless. Almost immediately, the image was gone right before her eyes, as if it had never been.

Shaking her head in disbelief, Callista stared at the mirror. She saw her image bearing the same shocked expression, but nothing else.

She looked around her room, her mind on alert. It suddenly became very cold, as if she was standing atop a tall, snow-encrusted mountain. Her breath came in short gasps

_What in the name of Chad is going on?_

Trying to shrug it off, and not entirely succeeding, Callista stood up as Luke came out of the fresher.

"Much better," Luke said as he kissed her. "How's your lip?"

"Hmm...it'd be better if it had another kiss on it," Callista said, rubbing her swollen lip. Luke chuckled, and obliged.

He noticed the look in her eyes, and the smile on his face dropped, overtaken with concern. "Callista, is something wrong?"

"I'll tell you later," she muttered, a shudder running down her spine. Then she looked up at Luke with a smile, taking his hand in hers. "Let's eat."

In the kitchen, far from the din in the cafeteria, where the Jedi students talked, ate, and practiced their Force tricks, one of the cooks, a Bothan named Neeja, finished preparing a pot of cheese soup and set it on the counter.

It had been last month that representatives of the Empire had come to Neeja on her homeworld of Kothlis, offering her a handsome sum to "dispose of the Jedi problem". Her cooking skills had quickly come to light, and the Republic had hired her to work at the Yavin Academy.

_I never thought I'd sell my loyalties to the highest bidder,_ she thought. _I'll have to remember this!_

With a sly glance over each shoulder to make sure none of the other cooks were getting too curious, she withdrew a vial of arsenic from her apron and dumped it into the pot, mixing it quickly with the cheese and vegetables.

The arsenic was very special. Extremely lethal and untraceable after death—thus making it the perfect murder weapon—it was one of the deadliest poisons that existed in the galaxy. When ingested, the acids would eat at the walls of the stomach, and then proceed to the other organs from there, feeding on the other tissues and increasing in volume. It was a slow, painful death that Neeja did not envy.

But it was, of course, perfect.

_My own special recipe,_ she thought wickedly, and could not hold back a malevolent chuckle.

"Luke," Callista began, "I need to tell you something."

Finishing his mouthful of woolamander, Luke looked at her with concern. "What? What is it?"

She looked around carefully. "Not here. Come on."

She stood up and led Luke out into the hallway. Luke glanced over his shoulder to see Kyp give him another wink.

"Luke, I saw Djinn this morning."

The statement knocked Luke out of the thought Kyp's wink had led him into. "What?"

"I saw Djinn. It's like...I don't know, like he's trying to _warn_ me about something. I saw him in the mirror, I got this chill...I can't explain it." Her eyes widened. "Luke, what if..."

"What if what?" he asked.

She broke away from him and started pacing, rubbing her hands together, fidgeting as her thoughts tumbled out all at once. "What if I _wasn't_ supposed to get my powers back? At least, not yet?"

Luke shook his head. "That's crazy."

"It's _not_, though. Djinn told me once that I shouldn't rush the Force...what if that's what we've done? Rushed the Force?"

"How much sleep did you get last night?"

"Luke." She looked at him with a baleful stare. "I'm being serious here."

"And so am I. A lot's happened in the past few days. You're excited, on top of anxiety. Don't worry, baby. Everything is going to turn out the way it's supposed to be." He hugged her and gave her a gentle kiss.

She sighed and touched his chest with her finger, feeling some of the worry slip away. But a small part of it always remained, to remind her that something was indeed wrong, and that she had to find out what it was quickly. "Okay...but I'm going to check out the databases, just to make sure."

Luke nodded. "Okay."

One of the cooks—the Bothan one, Neeja, Luke noticed—walked by then. She cast a small, curious glance at the two Jedi before continuing past them, humming a soft tune to herself.

Luke glanced at the pot of stew she carried, and then into her shifty eyes. "Neeja?"

The cook stopped. "Yes, Master Skywalker?"

"What is that?"

Neeja glanced at the pot. "Stew. For the students. And you and the lady, if you'd like some."

Callista lifted the lid and sniffed it. "It smells nice," she said as she tasted a fingerdip, spat it out, and replaced the lid. "For _poison_."

Neeja's eyes widened in horror. "My lady, I..."

"Callista? What are you talking about?" Luke said with a confused frown.

She glanced at him. "Disgruntled cook, Luke?"

Without another word, Neeja tossed the soup and ran, her cover blown. Luke and Callista took off after her. Luke tackled the Bothan before she could get very far, knocking her out instantly.

"How did you know?" he asked Callista, as he held the unconscious assassin down.

"My mother committed suicide with the same poison. I'd know it anywhere, disguised in anything."

The Core Systems glowed with intense heat and light, reflecting off the hull of one lone, leviathan ship.

Imperial Admiral Daala stood in the bridge of her new Super Star Destroyer, the _Knight Hammer_, straight and still, doing her best to appear impregnably and admirable. The officers below her worked diligently and silently, careful not to disturb the obviously impatient and displeased admiral.

In just the space of a few weeks, Daala had risen from an unheard-of commander of four Star Destroyers hidden within the black holes of the Maw Cluster to the new leader of the entire Imperial fleet, even gaining the obedience and respect of the late Grand Admiral Thrawn's former second-in-command, Vice Admiral Pellaeon. The feuding warlords were all dead, every last one of them, executed for their crimes against the Empire, leaving Daala's command over the remaining Imperial forces unquestionable.

It had not been an easy road for her, however. From the moment she had aspired to join the Empire as a child, Daala had been persecuted left and right by her superiors, given the most thankless and filthy jobs—including kitchen work, janitorial work, and a job as a lowly clerk—merely because of her sex. The Emperor had long had a distaste for women, and rarely—if ever—promoted them to high status. To him, Daala was just an inferior creature, unable to contribute anything of worth to the Empire's cause.

Things changed when she met Grand Moff Tarkin. Realizing the potential Daala had, he secretly promoted her to the rank of admiral and gave her command of four mighty Star Destroyers. He put her in charge of the Maw Installation, a secret base where brainwashed Imperial scientists worked day and night constructing various superweapons for the Emperor. Among the ones that were put to use were the original Death Star, the World Devastators, and, most recently, the Sun Crusher. Tarkin had left her in charge of the secret base, which was hidden deep within the core of the Maw Cluster, and returned to annihilate the pitiful band of Rebels who dared to go up against the New Order.

And then the unthinkable happened. Just on the verge of complete success, the Death Star was destroyed, and Tarkin was killed. Daala herself was discovered by the Rebels nearly a decade later by the smuggler Han Solo, and she engaged in her own private war against the New Republic, losing three of her four ships in the process. After seeing the destruction of Maw Installation, Daala limped back to the Core Systems, hoping to unite the warring Imperial leaders in hopes of defeating the Republic once and for all.

It had been a long and harrying task, resulting in the unfortunate death of Commander Kratas, one of her best men, but in the end, Daala had emerged victorious. The warlords had been eliminated, and she was in command of over dozens of powerful Imperial battleships. The Super Star Destroyer, in particular, pleased her the most, possessing enough firepower to single-handedly lay waste to an entire fleet.

And now, it was time to exact her long-awaited revenge on the Republic.

Starting with the Jedi Academy.

Daala was fully aware of the newly established _praxeum _on Yavin 4, where the Death Star had been destroyed eleven years ago. She knew that Luke Skywalker was in charge of all the Jedi students, the same man who had caused the death of Tarkin. For that reason alone, the Jedi would be the first to be crushed under Daala's iron fist...followed by the rest of the New Republic.

Believing that an all-out attack would attract too much attention to the Imperials, Daala had personally hired a Bothan cook to infiltrate the ranks of the Jedi Academy. It had been a calculated risk, but she had blended in perfectly, unsuspected among the vaunted Jedi. If everything had gone according to plan, the entire populace of Yavin 4 would be dead by now. It would be done quickly and efficiently.

Unfortunately, the assassin had not responded in hours.

Daala fidgeted uncomfortably as she continued gazing at the enormous viewscreen that displayed the fiery stars and worlds that made up the Core Systems. Her patience was starting to wear very thin. What was taking so long? The blasted Bothan was way overdue for her report. The Jedi were supposed to be dead by now.

_What was taking so long?_

As if in answer to her unvoiced question, two holographic images flared to life before her, taking the shapes of two black-uniformed Imperial officers. "Admiral, I have bad news," one of them said.

"Yes, Lieutenant, what is it?" Daala pressed.

"The Bothan has been apprehended," the officer reported gravely, avoiding eye contact with the Imperial commander. "Our informant on Yavin 4 has just verified this. The Jedi discovered her plan and now have her imprisoned in the brig."

"Blast it all!" Daala started pacing around the platform, dozens of thoughts screaming in her mind all at once. "Ah, well, I should have known they would discover her. These Jedi are not stupid, no matter how much I wish they were. And the Bothan's mentality _did_ leave much to be desired.

"Nevertheless," she added, turning back to the holograms, "they _will_ get what they're asking for. We'll have to resort to Plan B."

The Imperial officer gave her a hardened look. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Daala said sternly. "See to it."

The two Imperials saluted, and the holograms shattered into a thousand pieces that quickly blossomed into nothingness.

In the bowels of the _Knight Hammer_, the same two Imperial officers who had reported of the Bothan's capture stood before the assassin who stood ominously before them, silent and unmoving.

Plan B.

"You know what to do," Lieutenant Berin said to the assassin.

"Yes," the assassin replied in a soft, mechanical voice. "Find Luke Skywalker, and kill him on sight. Any and all Jedi who stand in my way will be eliminated."

The officer nodded. "Excellent. Do your job."

The assassin nodded, a smile twisting her pale lips. She was a droid, a perfect replica of Luke Skywalker's young lover, according to the droid's designers. Same hair color and length, same eye color, same facial features, same build, everything. Its target would never realize the difference...until it was too late.

"I will find Luke Skywalker," the droid said.

Kyp and Dorsk 81 trudged through the jungle, accompanied by one of the Academy's new students, brushing aside weeds, branches, and pests as they headed for their destination. It was early in the morning now, and the sun was just beginning to make its presence known, the first signs of its yellow, hot rays of light beginning to awaken from its slumber.

"How close are we?" the new student, Tereias, asked.

"Not far," Kyp said hopefully. "Master Skywalker said that it was around here in this area. He and Callista discovered it a week ago."

"I hope this temple doesn't turn out to be as bad as the other one," Dorsk 81 said gravely.

Kyp nodded, memories of the Sith temple and Exar Kun replaying in his head. His folly had nearly killed all of the other students. Even now, a year later, the Sith Lord's tattooed face and evil countenance still plagued his dreams. "That will never happen again," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "You can be sure of that." Quickly, he changed the subject,and raised his voice to a normal, conversational tone. "No, I think this particular temple has been around before Kun...before the _Massassi_."

That caught his cloned companion's attention. "_Before_ the Massassi? But...how is that possible? The Massassi were here on Yavin 4 long before any other race."

"Maybe," Kyp said doubtfully. "But Callista told me that the design of this temple is far different from those of the others. Not to mention that it's located far from the boundaries of the old Massassi area. Someone else built them...and I want to know who."

"Hey, I heard something about an assassination attempt from one of the cooks yesterday," Tereias piped up, more excited than frightened, in typical teenager fashion. "What was that all about?"

Kyp and Dorsk 81 exchanged a brief, worried glance, and the clone answered the young man's query. "I'm not sure, Tereias. But we have to be careful. I can sense that this threat is not over yet..."

Kyp suddenly stopped. He heard footsteps, coming...

...from behind.

"What?" Tereias said, coming up behind him. When the pale youth heard the sounds of their follower, he looked around nervously.

"It must be one of the others," Kyp said.

"Or maybe _not_," Tereias whimpered.

Before Kyp could answer him, Callista stepped out of the brush, a faraway look in her eyes, as if she was searching for something. "Hey, guys. Have you seen Luke anyplace?"

"Callista!" Kyp called out, relieved. He and his two friends ran over to her. "Hey! We were on our way to that temple you guys found earlier."

She frowned. "Temple?" Her face changed, with sudden recognition. "Yes, the _temple_, that's right. Very interesting." She looked up at the jungle canopy again and asked, "So, where's Luke?"

"Uh...I saw you with him just before we left the Great Temple," Kyp said, a knot twisting in his gut. Something seemed very wrong about all this.

Callista cast a glance at the three students—then turned and started to leave.

"Wait!" Tereias said, rushing up to block Callista's path. "Is something wrong, Callista? You don't seem like yourself today."

Callista glared at the young man—just as her fist came out, punching through the Jedi's chest.

A sickening crunch echoed in the jungle as the blow connected, and Tereias screamed in pain. Blood flowed from his chest, and Callista withdrew her hand, holding Tereias's still-beating heart. The young student slumped to the ground.

Kyp and Dorsk 81 stepped back, struck with horror at the slaughter. Callista looked at them, her lips curving upward in a ghastly smile.

"Who's next?" she said, as she threw the heart in Kyp's direction. The young man stiffened as the bloodied organ bounced off his knee and flopped lifelessly to the ground.

"Run!" he said without a moment's hesitation, and he and Dorsk 81 ran off in the opposite direction. He took one last look into Callista's cold gray eyes and saw no trace of humanity in them. He had no idea what had happened to her, or what was going on...all he wanted to do was get out of there, before someone else died.

The Human Replica Droid nodded and called out after them, "Go ahead and run, you cowards! If you won't tell me where Skywalker is...then I'll have to go find him myself." She smiled. "You can't hide from me."

Giving the corpse of Tereias a good, solid kick, she began following the two fleeing Jedi.

Luke brought his lightsaber down over his opponent's head, and Kam Solusar barely had a chance to parry the attack with his own weapon. Their blades pressed together; Luke met Kam's gaze, holding it for just a moment before stepping back and deactivating the blade, ending the mock duel that had lasted the past half hour. "Well done, Kam. You're getting better with that. Keep up your practicing, and you'll master it one day."

Kam nodded. "Thank you, Master."

Luke nodded, and turned away. He had had this nagging feeling that something was wrong ever since the incident with the Bothan. Although Neeja was being kept in the brig until the New Republic could send authorities to take her to Coruscant, Luke doubted that she was acting alone.

He wanted to know who had sent her.

He dismissed Kam, and walked through the corridors to the upper levels of the temple to call Leia and see if she knew how long it would be before someone would be there to take Neeja away.

But on his way there, he caught sight of a figure sitting on the balcony railing overlooking the jungle. It was Callista. She sat silently on the railing, her legs dangling, teasing the hundred-meter drop to the ground. She stared out at the jungle, not turning as he came up behind her.

Luke wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed her cheek. "Callista, what's wrong?"

"Do you feel it, too?" she asked in return, her eyes not meeting his.

"Actually, yes."

"Luke, something bad is going to happen. I mean, _really _bad."

"Like what?"

She hesitated. "I don't know," she replied, and lowered her head.

Luke remembered what she had said earlier about her mother, an aspect of her life they had never addressed, except to acknowledge the similarity between them, both having grown up without a mother. Now that it had surfaced again, he knew it was not a topic they could ignore anymore.

He turned her around to face him, looking her squarely in the eyes. When he looked at her this way, Callista always felt that he could read her mind. Even when she had felt the emptiness in the Force, it could not prevent him from knowing her every thought.

"Tell me about your mother, Callista," he whispered, taking her hands in his and gently pulling her closer to him. "You've never talked about her much...I can tell how much it hurts you."

For a while, Callista was able to keep the tears from forming in her eyes, but now they stung them, and she shut her eyes in a vain attempt to keep them from spilling. But she was tired of fighting them. His arms—they felt so strong and comforting, and she surrendered to his touch and pressed herself against him, feeling his warmth and love radiating within her.

"I was so young," she said. The rawness she heard in her own voice scared her, and she felt Luke squeeze her just a little bit tighter against him. "I...barely even remember her, Luke..."

"I know," he murmured. She felt his soft breath on her cheek. "I know..."

Of course he knew. He, too, had known the pain of growing up motherless. Growing up in a world where no one understood the strange gift of the Force that they possessed at a young age, the very people they loved unable to reach out to them completely.

"I saw it happening all over again with my stepmother," she continued. "I saw how sad and withdrawn she was, too. We never got along, she and I. I...feel like I pushed all of them away."

"No." Luke brought her face to his and cupped it in his hands. "No, don't you believe that, Callie. What happened was not your fault. It's time you stopped blaming yourself."

"But—"

"No."

The tears trickled down her cheeks, despite all the energy she mustered to keep them hidden. "I was so alone," she said at last. "Papa tried, he really did. And I loved him more than anything. But without her...my family was never complete, and it tore us apart." She looked up at him, his blue eyes glistening with tears of sympathy. "There was always a piece of me missing, Luke."

He touched his lips to her temple and said once again, "I know."

Kyp and Dorsk 81 ran full speed toward the Jedi Academy, panting and nearly out of breath. Kyp's legs were sore and threatened to give up under the pressure, but the young man forced himself to keep going.

With a lump in his throat, he reached out with the Force, calling out to anyone who might be listening, warning of the approaching danger.

He hoped they would beat her there. It would take them longer before they had circled around Callista, but no matter what, they _would _beat her.

The horror of seeing his friend kill Tereias in such a cruel and brutal manner remained emblazoned in his thoughts. Kyp was still not sure that it had been her, and he kept trying to convince himself that it had not been.

_I hope it wasn't her, _he thought. _For Master Skywalker's sake, for all our sakes._

The HRD kept a steady pace toward the Jedi Academy.

_This is going to be fun, _she thought. _Very fun._

After several moments, Callista laughed shakily. "I got your shirt all wet," she said, touching his shoulder with her hand. She leaned in to place a soft kiss on his lips. "What a gentleman you are."

He flashed his boyish grin. "Aunt Beru taught me that I should always treat a lady right." He brushed aside the malt-brown curls from her eyes and kissed her forehead. "Are you feeling any better? Did this help at all?"

She nodded and slipped her arms around his neck. "Yes," she said. "Thank you, Luke."

"Anytime, my love."

She broke from his hold and walked over to lean over the balcony railing. "I...still have a bad feeling about the cook," she said, her back to him, her gaze set on the rising Yavin sun.

"Me, too," he admitted. "Why would anyone try to poison you?"

She turned to face him again and shook her head, and the faint tremor she had felt in her bones earlier now escalated to an insistent rumble, demanding her attention. "We don't know if it was just for me," she said, knowing that he too could feel the growing threat that permeated the air between them, "but I don't think the Bothan was acting independently. I think someone else was behind this. If that's true, then...you're in danger just as much as I am, as much as any student here...And Luke, I can't bear that. We have to figure out what this is, right away."

At that moment, Luke caught a sense of impending terror. His head snapped up, and he looked over the railing toward the jungle.

Callista did the same. "Luke, did you feel that?"

Luke nodded. They both concentrated with the Force, searching for the identity of who was calling to them.

"It's Kyp!"

Kyp burst out of the jungle as Luke and Callista reached the opening of the temple and sprinted outside.

"_Master Skywalker!!!!_" Kyp called, his voice stricken with fear. He sprinted to the landing pad, where Luke and Callista met him, Dorsk 81 not far behind. They both ran to Luke.

"Luke, it's Callista! She..." He stopped when he saw Callista standing there, and backed up. "She beat us here."

"What?" Callista said, stepping closer to Kyp.

Kyp whipped out his lightsaber, igniting it and pointing it at Callista in one fluid motion."Get away from me, you murderer!"

Callista ripped her own weapon from her belt, pulling up her defenses out of relfex. In the same instant, Luke's lightsaber was out, crossing Kyp's and preventing him from harming Callista. "Kyp!" he snapped. "Stop this!"

Just then, to the surprise and horror of everyone gathered at the landing pad, a woman stepped out of the jungle, turning to face the small group. Luke got one good look at her face, and his blood went completely cold.

It was Callista's face.

"I don't understand! You were..." Kyp pointed to the jungle, and the woman coming ever closer. "There...how—" He looked at Luke. "Master, Calli...I mean—that _thing_—" He pointed at the new arrival. "—killed Tereias. It was the most gruesome thing—pulled out his heart. Tereias is dead...he's _dead_..."

Kyp was shaking. Luke could tell that his efforts to control it were failing. Dorsk 81 finally caught up and rested his hands on his knees, panting, and every bit as shaken as his companion.

Luke exchanged glances with Callista, then turned to Kyp and Dorsk 81.

"All of you...get inside. I'll deal with this."

"What are you going to do?" whispered Callista.

"I'll think of something. Don't worry," he added with a reassuring grin. "I'll be fine."

"Master Skywalker, please let us help!" Kyp insisted

Luke shook his head, and turned from his student, facing the jungle. "This is not your fight."

"Of course it is! She _killed_ Tereias."

"Kyp, please. There will be another fight. I do not think this battle will end the war." He lowered his head a little, and added, "Now please, get inside. All three of you."

Hesitantly, Kyp and Dorsk 81 took shelter in the temple, but Callista didn't budge. "Luke, I don't want to leave you here alone!"

Luke kissed her on the lips, managing with very little success to reassure her. "I'll be fine."

Callista turned and walked inside without another word, looking back over her shoulder.

"I hope," Luke whispered.

The sound of heavy footsteps startled him, and he turned to face the woman who had killed Tereias...the woman who was an exact mirror image of Callista. He stood face-to-face with her, unnerved by how much she really did look like her.

As he calmly faced the woman, Luke came to another frightening realization as he saw that he could not _feel_ this woman's presence through the Force. No matter how hard he tried, he could sense no life at all within her. He could hear a heartbeat, could feel blood flow through her veins...but all of it was artificial.

And in that moment, he realized that he was standing face-to-face with a Human Replica Droid.

As he looked into her hard, lifeless eyes, Luke knew that there was be no reasoning with her, no negotiating. Whoever had sent this droid had programmed her with a special mission—and he had a pretty good idea what that "mission" was—and she would not stop until it was carried out.

Which meant that he would have to fight.

As she came closer, she said in what could only be a low snarl, "Skywalker?"

Luke spread his hands, open palms up. His lightsaber remained at his belt, but he had a feeling that it would not last that way for much longer. "Yes?"

The HRD walked toward Luke, her hands balling into fists that had enough power to shatter durasteel. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Now, it's time to die."

"Maybe later," he said. "Who sent you?"

The HRD noticed the movement, and came forth with blinding speed before he could activate the weapon. She threw herself toward him in a full body-slam, nearly knocking him off his feet and causing him to drop his weapon. Had Luke not been attuned to the Force at that moment, he would have been knocked out cold—or worse. As it was, he was able to absorb most of the blow...not that it helped the raging pain in his body any.

Luke took several steps back, trying to recollect himself. Nothing seemed to be broken, but it sure didn't feel that way. He looked around and saw his lightsaber lying several feet away, just out of reach.

The droid continued onward, not even fazed by the attack. Luke threw a backhand that connected sharply with her face, twisting her head to the side. The droid did not even hesitate as she turned back and delivered her own backhand. It hit Luke firmly in the jaw; the pain that followed was so unexpected and severe that Luke could not even use the Force to absorb the blow. He just stood there, stunned, as the HRD punched him again.

Luke dropped to one knee, his entire face one large mass of pain. He tasted blood on his lips, and spat it out, staining the green morning grass red. He reached out with one hand, and his lightsaber rose into the air and landed neatly in his outstretched hand. He thumbed the switch, and the electric green blade hissed to life.

The HRD stepped back at the sight of the weapon. Her eyes remained cold and fearless, as if even the threat of a lightsaber did not frighten or intimidate her in the slightest.

Luke rose to his feet, holding his weapon in a defensive stance. His face still ached, but he managed to quell the worst of it. He cleared his mind, his eyes intent on the awaiting droid. Every muscle in his body was alive, his nerves tingling. He would be ready for anything.

The droid came.

Luke waited until she was upon him, and swung the lightsaber toward her head. But he had miscalculated his move, and the droid was able to duck beneath the humming blade. Her speed was incredible, far surpassing that of a human. The sheer momentum of the failed attack caused Luke to stumble forth, giving the HRD the advantage she needed.

As Luke reeled, the droid bent over, grabbing at Luke's legs for support. Her right foot came up in the air in a reverse kick. The world seemed to slow down for Luke as his descent continued, with the droid's foot approaching closer and closer until he could see nothing else. It seemed that he had all the time in the universe to evade the incoming blow—

Her foot caught him in the side of the head. For one horrific moment, Luke thought she had fractured his skull. His vision started to blur, as pain exploded in a blinding white light in his head. He felt himself stagger back, feeling his grip on his lightsaber loosen, one hand going up to his throbbing head.

He felt rather than saw the droid move to his side, felt her powerful hand grab his shoulder. A split second later, a searing pain tore through the back of his left knee, dropping him to the ground. It took him several precious seconds to realize that she had savagely kicked him in the back of the knee, almost popping out the joint. A pained cry escaped his still-bleeding mouth, and he could not even resist as the droid grabbed him by the back of his brown robe and threw him into the air.

Luke screamed as he sailed through the air and hit the ground. He felt one of the muscles in his neck tear, further increasing the agony tenfold. He remained writhing on the ground in pain, fire burning in his knee, neck, and face. He wasn't even sure which wound to cradle first.

A shadow loomed over him, and Luke looked up to see the HRD standing over him, armed for the first time. A lightsaber was clutched in both hands, the ruby-red beam humming with deadly power.

Things were about to get worse.

"Drop the weapon."

The voice was even, calm, unwavering. Luke craned his head a few centimeters—it hurt like hell to do so—and though he could only make out a shadow behind the droid, every fiber of his being told him it was Callista.

His lover stepped out of the shadows. "I said _drop_ it," she repeated, not a hint of fear or trepidation in her voice.

"Callista, I told you to stay inside!"

"Come on, Luke. You know how great a listener I—"

The droid pivoted toward Callista without warning and unleashed a ferocious swing at her, but she managed to block it with her own topaz blade.

"—_AM!_" Energy sparks dispersed in all directions as their blades met with fury again and again, the wicked humming ringing in Luke's ears.

Block and counter-block. Parry and counter-parry. Callista fought the droid with precision and control, and as Luke watched the two women sparring, he drew on the Force to expel the raging pain from his body.

The HRD swung a high blow for Callista's head, an infuriated snarl on her face. Callista blocked it with her own blade, producing a spectacular array of sparks, and surprised the droid with a kick to the stomach. The HRD doubled over, giving Callista time to ram her elbow into the other's back, knocking her to her knees.

Without wasting a second, Callista knocked the droid back with a powerful Force blow. Her mirror image was torn off her feet and into the wall of the Great Temple. She fell to the ground, winded.

_Got to help her,_ Luke thought, using every bit of his effort to will the pain away. It obeyed him, and soon he felt the throbbing in his torn ligaments and bruises ease. Within a few seconds, he called his lightsaber back into his hand and ignited it in an emerald blaze.

The droid leaped quickly to her feet, already recovered, and was coming toward Callista, lightsaber extended. They crossed blades again.

"Callie!" he called out, as he lunged at the droid.

The droid was not expecting Luke's attack. She fell to the ground in a stunned heap, her blood-red saber flying out of her hand. Before she could reach forth to retrieve it, Luke beat her to it, and it leaped into his palm.

The droid twisted around to face him, horror in her eyes. Callista ran to both of them, and along with Luke stood over the trembling body of the stranger. Stripped of her weapon and her confidence, she stared back at the couple with fear etched on her face.

"Now," said Callista, "we'll find out what's really going on."

The fear on the droid's face suddenly evaporated, changing into defiance. "I'm nottelling you anything," she spat out.

Callista frowned, then shrugged in mock-acceptance and nodded. "Oh. Okay." She kicked her mirror image in the jaw, sending her head reeling backwards. "You and your friends have made our lives quite interesting for the past few days. And Luke and I want to find out why."

Luke put a hand on her arm, restraining her gently. "Calm, Callista," he whispered. Callista pulled her arm away, lifting a hand to keep Luke from trying to stop her again.

The droid swallowed hard, the smallest trickle of blood running down one nostril, and came up on her elbows. Luke squeezed the lightsaber in his hand instinctively, ready to activate it at a moment's notice. When he saw that the droid would make no sudden moves, he eased his grip on the metal handle.

"Who sent you?" he demanded. He tasted more blood on his lip, and wiped it away with the sleeve of his Jedi robe.

"You think I'm going to tell—"

"Listen," Luke said, leaning in close to her. "I don't know what your mission is...but it stops right here and now. You've already killed one of my students. And if you think I'm going to let you come near anyone else—"

The droid laughed indignantly. "The all-powerful Jedi Master...I'm so impressed, Skywalker. Don't forget I almost beat you at your own game just now."

Luke smiled back. "_Almost_," he said coolly, showing her that he would not be easily intimidated, and he waved her saber in his hand. "But not quite."

She snarled and attempted to get up, but stumbled back to all fours within a few seconds, automatically reaching for her shin. "Blast it!" she hissed. "You broke my leg!"

Luke rubbed a finger at his still-sore jaw. "And you just about broke my face," he countered.

Callista stepped closer to the droid. It must have been strange for her, Luke thought, to look at her mirror image, a reminder of what could have been if she had chosen a dark path instead of the light.

"Who sent you?" she said calmly.

The droid smiled a wicked smile and leaned in towards Callista. "You'll have to work just a _little_ bit harder to find that out."


	2. The Droid

Forever Home: A Luke and Callista Story  
  
Part 2  


  
The interrogation lasted half an hour. She and Luke had no idea who had sent this HRD—let alone the Bothan assassin—and there was no telling what else this mysterious person would send against them.  
Unfortunately, they were no closer to finding their answer than they had been before the droid had arrived. None of the interrogation equipment the Academy had at its disposal did any good against the Human Replica Droid, and the Bothan seemed to have the constitution of a rock. All they ever said to the two Jedi were empty threats.   
It unnerved Callista that they had no idea who this enemy was.   
When they were finally finished, Luke and Callista left the droid and the Bothan in the brig, locking the two assassins in behind them. At the other end of the hall, Kyp and Dorsk 81 had collapsed into chairs to wait for them.   
"So, how'd it go?" Kyp asked as he and his companion sat up.   
"She wouldn't answer any of her questions," Luke said solemnly. "We put her in the brig with Neeja."   
"Was Neeja able to tell you anything?" Kyp pressed.   
Callista shook her head. "Nothing. Their lips are sealed as far as they're concerned. We'll figure out how to deal with them later. In the meantime, we'd better keep an eye out."   
"Could the Empire be behind this?" asked Dorsk 81.   
No question, Luke said. Some warlord must've constructed the HRD and sent her to kill us all."   
"I have a very bad feeling about this," Kyp said uneasily, looking around the cramped corridor. "I've been sensing a disturbance in the Force since this morning."   
"Join the club," Luke said, knowing exactly what his student was going through.   
"So, what now?" Dorsk 81 asked.   
Callista gave the Khomm alien a reassuring smile. "What else? We wait."   
"I'm going to contact Tereias's family and let them know what happened," Luke added sadly, his eyes drifting over to Callista. "It's not gonna be easy for me to tell them, butsomeone has to let them know"   
The group nodded, and remained silent for a long time, mourning the death of their friend.   
"Well, in the meantime," Kyp concluded, "let's go warn the other students about what's going on."   
Callista nodded. "Good idea. Luke, why don't you join them, and I'll go up to the Holonet archives for a little while, see if I can find any evidence of Imperial activity."   
Luke drew air through his teeth. "Are you sure it's such a good idea to go alone? I mean, with everything that's going on"   
Callista smiled and put her arms around his shoulders. He always looked so cute when he was worried about her. "I'll be fine, Luke. I'm a big girl. And anyway," she added with a wink. "It's just a few assassins. No need to pull out the buddy system."   
"Yeah, but—"   
"Anyway, no offense to you, Kyp, but I think the students would be more inclined to take this matter seriously if their Master is telling them."   
Kyp nodded. "I agree. Come on, Master Skywalker."   
Luke finally acceded. "Okay. But Callista, please be careful."   
Callista smiled, and kissed him gently. "I will. I promise."   
  
The Holocron archives were located at the very base of the Massassi ziggurat, in the same room where over a decade ago, the Rebellion had planned their attack on the first Death Star. Over a dozen shelves were stacked head to toe with Holocrons from various worlds, all in varying degrees of condition, with recordings from various Jedi Masters long gone. The library—like most libraries in the galaxy—was mostly quiet and tranquil, for few students ever came down there; the ones who did came to learn more about the ancient history of the Jedi. Tionne, in particular, frequented this place almost every day, and would spend hours researching the Holocrons, preparing for her next ballad.   
Today, however, Callista was alone. Tionne—as well as the other Jedi students—were gathered in the Grand Audience Chamber, where Luke was informing them of the HRD threat, as well as holding a memorial for poor Tereias.   
Callista's heart went out to Tereias, as well as his family—who had no doubt already received the news of the young man's death—and she wished she were upstairs with Luke at that moment. But a question continued to hover at the edges of her mind, something that had been bothering her for over two days now   
How did she get her powers back?   
Callista sat in silence, chewing on a bland—but nutritious, according to the wrapper—ration bar as she listened to a recording made by the Jedi Master Vodo Siosk-Baas, who had been the mentor of the Sith Lord Exar Kun, who had later killed the old Master in a duel.   
Callista had seen this Holocron before. A long, long time ago—in another lifetime, it seemed like—when she had been a young woman, around sixteen or seventeen years old, under the tutelage of Djinn Altis on the _Chu'unthor_. Those memories were so vague to her now. It had been decades ago, and her imprisonment on the _Eye of Palpatine_ had pretty much wiped out much of her remembrance of her past. Bits and pieces remained in her mind, certainly, just enough to continue reminding her of the life she had left behind, but for the most partit was all just a blur.   
Bit by bit, though, those lost memories were beginning to come back to her, in the form of dreams—mostly nightmares. And as they came back to her, Callista wished that they had just stayed gone   
The Holocron droned on and on, and Callista was beginning to feel frustrated. She had been in the library for hours now, and she was still no closer to discovering the source of her newly established powers than she had been two days ago. Many times, the holographic image of Master Vodo had mentioned Ulic Qel-Droma, the only other Jedi in recorded history other than Callista who had lost his powers.   
Only, unlike Callista, he had never gotten them back.   
_Why me, though?_ she thought, angrily switching the Holocron off, and putting her head down on the table, trying to think. _Am I the only Jedi in history to ever have this happen to? _She had checked many other Holocrons recorded by other Masters—Nomi Sunrider, Thon, and even Luke's Master Yoda—and still found no answers.   
Perhaps she was looking in the wrong place, she thought, as she stood up and began pacing around the library, looking over at the dozens of Holocrons sitting upon the shelves, many of them having collected dust and cobwebs, recognizing several of them from the _Chu'unthor_. Maybe her answer had nothing at all to do with the Force. Maybe there was something else involved, something the ancient Jedi Masters had had no idea of   
As she walked along the narrow aisles, trying to let her thoughts collect, Callista's vision began to blur. She stopped and rubbed her eyes, wondering what was wrong—maybe she was tired; she had not gotten much sleep in the past few days   
And when her eyes opened, she was no longer in the librarybut on a ship.   
Callista's heart almost stopped, and she let out a shocked gasp. She saw movement from the corner of her left eye, and turned to see a woman shorter than she, with a wave of dark brown hair—mixed with a few blond streaks—and blue eyes that smiled over at her. She seemed so familiar to her   
_You'll need to be careful for a while. It's very easy to get lost here._   
_What?_ Callista closed her eyes, and opened them, and all at once, the woman was gone, as was the ship. She was now back in the Great Temple library, amidst the shelves of Holocrons.   
Alone.   
_Don't tell me I'm going crazy now, _Callista thought as she leaned against the stone wall, taking in several deep breaths. That ship—it had been the _Chu'unthor_. It _had_ to be. She would recognize that ship anyplace. It was one of the few things she still remembered about her past.   
And the woman, her face, the words she had spokenthey were so familiar, as if it had really happened, but no matter how hard Callista tried, her mind just could not completely remember it—   
A crash sounded in the room, and Callista jumped, startled out of her thoughts.   
All at once, that same feeling—that same dark presence that had been in Callista's bedroom—flared back, almost suffocating her.   
She was no longer alone.   
"Hello?" she called out, her voice slightly shrill. Her eyes scanned the library, but she saw no movement, no signs of anyone else in the room but her. Maybe it was just Luke, or one of his students. But that same feeling remained"Hello? Who's there?"   
A shadow loomed over her, and Callista spun around, but it was merely one of the shelves. _Look at me. Jumping at every little thing, now. I must be going nuts or something_"I know you're in here. Where are you?"   
Footsteps.   
Callista's fears were confirmed. They were coming from the farthest shelf, as if the person had realized that his or her cover was blown, and was trying to get away as quickly as possible.   
The minute the door opened and slammed, Callista ran after it. She flung the library door open and ran out into the old hangar bay, which had once housed dozens of X-wing and Y-wing fighters, and was now empty, save for the _Shapeshifter_, Luke's personal ship. The bay was dark and deserted, the lamplights above her long since dead. The only light streamed through the cracks in the temple walls, offering Callista little comfort.   
_Where did you go? _she thought, as she stretched out with the Force. No one else was inside the bay but her, the mysterious person now gone. And still, she could feel that being's presence, dark and evil, could still feel it watching her from the shadows   
_Why does this keep happening to me?_   
And as she stood there, alone and shrouded in darkness, Callista could hear Djinn's voice whisper in her ear, a warning that made her blood run ice-cold, her heart pound in terror.   
_CallistaLuke will die_   
  
Even in the stillness of her room, the jumbled noise in Callista's head made it hard for her to think. It seemed she had stood there for hours in only half an hour, arms folded on her chest, the sound of her steady breathing the only sound in her room.   
_Luke will die_   
Callista shivered as she heard Djinn's warning resonate in her mind, making her skin grow cold. The images she had seen in the Holocron library, the noises she had heard, the presence she had felt, remained with her, despite all attempts to block them out.   
_Stop it! _she scolded herself, feeling her anger warm her body. _You're overreacting here. There's nothing going on. It's all just in your head_   
But something inside her told Callista that she was lying to herself. Something _was_ going on, and she had no idea what. It remained at the edges of her subconscious, tantalizing her with that familiarity, and yet, she could not _remember_ it. It was beginning to drive her crazy. That presence, whoever it belonged to, was someone Callista had known a long time ago, someone she had loved   
And had been taken away from her.   
She felt Luke's arms slide around her waist, and she leaned back, taking his arms and tightening them around her. Just the feel of her lover's arms helped ease some of her discomfort.   
"Hey," he whispered in her ear. "A credit for your thoughts?"   
She turned and pressed her forehead to his, looping her arms around his neck. "You already know what I'm thinking," she answered back, as he kissed her smiling mouth.   
"Crazy day, huh?"   
She nodded wanly. "You can say that again." She sighed as she rested her head on his shoulder. "How did it go with Tereias's family?"   
She could feel Luke's body stiffen at the question, and for the first time, she sensed that her lover was feeling just as upset as shebut for different reasons. "Not well at all," he said sadly. "His mother just wouldn't believe me when I told her. She accused me that if I had been doing my job right, this never would have happened." He sighed. "And perhaps she was right."   
"No." Callista looked up into Luke's eyes, their roles switched; now, it was _he_ who needed the comforting. "It wasn't your fault, Luke. There was nothing you could have done. None of us saw it coming." She offered him a comforting kiss on the cheek. "You did everything you could. You stopped the HRD before she could kill anyone else."   
"I know." The faintest shimmer of tears pooled in his blue eyes. "It justwasn't enough to save him."   
"I'm sorry, Luke," Callista whispered, as she took his hand in hers. Her worries instantly forgotten, she wiped the tears that slowly slid down his cheeks with the tips of her fingers, unable to bear the sight of seeing her love in so much pain.   
He pulled her closer to him—so close that she could feel his breath on her face. As she looked into his eyes, she could see the many things he wanted to tell her, could almost see the words forming in his mind.   
At long last, he said simply, "Have I told you lately how much I love you?"   
She smiled and brought her hand to his face. "Yeah," she said, "but I love hearing it over and over, so can you tell me again?"   
"Gladly," he said, and took her face in his hands and kissed her—his warmth, his energy, his spirit infusing themselves within her.   
When they finally parted, she felt her cheeks flush. "How did I get this lucky?" she whispered. "All those years on that forsaken shipI never thought I'd find human contact again, and now—not only did I, but I found so much more"   
"I think," said Luke, "we saved each other."   
She smiled at him. "Spoken like a wise Jedi Master," she said.   
"How did your search in the archives go?" Luke asked, as he continued holding her, kissing her on the crown of her head.   
Callista fidgeted just barely at the mention of the Holocron room. Already, the horrifying images she had seen were beginning to resurface"Another dead end. I'd rather not talk about it right now."   
She could sense that Luke knew something was deeply troubling her. But because he loved her so much and respected her privacy, he let it go, and just stood there with his arms encircling her slender body. Callista lightly traced the bruises and welts that blossomed on his face. "I can't believe what she did to you. I almost lost you"   
"I sense a lecture coming," Luke said, only half-joking.   
"It was foolish of you to go up against her alone. You nearly got killed."   
"But I didn't," Luke said back, his voice just barely rising. "It _was_ stupid, I'll admit that. I was just worried for your safety, and of my students—"   
"Luke, we're not little children," Callista said. "We can take care of ourselves. That's part of what being a Jedi Knight is. To function together as a team." She traced a large bruise that began at the left side of his forehead and continued all the way down to his jaw. "How are you feeling?"   
"Better than I was earlier," Luke said with a grin. "But you know what make me feel even _better_?"   
"What?"   
"A kiss, if you will."   
Callista could not help but smile. "I'd be happy to oblige, Master Skywalker," she said, her lips just beginning to brush his mouth.   
A furious pounding at the door interrupted the lovers. Luke broke from her embrace and made his way to the door. It slid open to reveal a shaken Kyp.   
"Master SkywalkerI'm sorry to intrude, but it's an emergency"   
"Kyp, what is it?" Luke said, pulling him into the room. It was then that Callista noticed the blood-torn clothing he wore.  
"Stars, what happened?" she exclaimed, rushing to their side, and pressing a hand to the bleeding wound on his abdominal area.   
Kyp shook his head. "I'll be all right—"   
"The hell you will be!" Callista said.   
"TionneYou must help TionneMaster Skywalker, CallistaI think she's dyinyou have to come"   
  
Luke and Callista helped support Kyp as he led them to the infirmary. Blood flowed from his stomach injury, volumes—too much. Callista's hand remained pressed to the wound, but small runnels of warm blood still managed to squeeze through, spilling onto the floor.   
"Tionne" Kyp whimpered, wincing as he took another step.   
"Shhh," Callista whispered, using her free hand to stroke his hair, like a mother to her son. "It'll be okay, Kyp, I promise. Everything will be okay"   
They reached the infirmary in record time. Kyp was on the verge of passing out by the time they had stepped through the door. What Callista saw in the room told her that everything was _not_ okay. "Tionne!" she gasped.   
The beautiful, silver-haired woman lay prone on the medtable, blood flowing from a deep wound on one side of her head. Her injuries were even more grievous than Kyp's; it looked as if someone had beaten her with something largeand blunt.   
"Kyp!" Cilghal said quietly, melancholy. "Please, lie down before you do further damage to yourself." She went over to help Luke and Callista position the young man atop another table next to Tionne. "I found them ten minutes ago, Master Skywalker. Kyp was lying next to her, nearly out. He can't remember anything that happened. They're both in very bad shape, I'm afraid."   
"" Kyp managed to moan, his eyes beginning to lose focus. "didn't see it coming"   
Callista could not describe the horror that shook her to the core. Could the HRD have"Tionne, what happened?" No answer. "She's not dead. I can feel her. Who could have done this?" She could already feel her throat tighten. _Please_she silently begged. _We've already lost one. Not another_   
"I don't know at this point. I haven't had time to really examine her. She may recover, but we don't know what condition she's in. Look at the wound on her head, here." Cilghal gestured at the gash that covered the left area of Tionne's forehead and soaked her silver hair with blood. "I'd say that this was done by a club, or something else blunt. Kyp must've come in after she was knocked out and tried to help, but they overpowered him. I'm doing everything I can to save them; I promise."   
Luke turned to Callista. "Callie, do me a favor. Rally the students. I don't think we're alone here. We need to comb this entire place for Imperials."   
"Luke, you don't think" Callista said, meeting her lover's eyes.   
Luke knew what she was thinking. "I don't know. It's possible"   
"The two prisoners are still locked up," Cilghal told them as she applied a warm, wet rag onto Tionne's wound. "That's where I found them. The door was locked."   
"No," Callista said, a sickening sensation in her gut. "It was their accomplices, whoever they are. They're somewhere in this templetrying to free them, maybe. Tionne and Kyp must have gotten in their way." Her resolve to find these people strengthened. "Well, we'll just have to find them before they find that droid."   
"I'll stay here with Tionne and Kyp," Cilghal said. "But I'll need a medical droid to assist me."   
"I'll get one for you," Luke said. "Then I'll get the students together."   
"I'll go scout around," Callista offered. "Something might turn up that'll help us. A clue or something."   
"All right, but meet us in the Audience Hall in ten minutes, okay?"   
"Will do."   
"Be careful, Callista," Luke said as she headed for the door.   
Callista gripped the doorpost and turned around. With a wink, she said, "Hey, I'm always careful."   
  
Brakiss crept down the dark tunnel, careful to make as little noise as possible, for fear of possibly being discovered by one of the Jedi students.   
He had left Kyp and Tionne for dead just outside the prison corridor. Tionne had been carrying the identification card needed to open the cell door that contained the HRD and the Bothan assassin, and she had refused to give it to him. So, he had to be a little more insistent   
Brakiss had once been an Imperial agent, brainwashed by the Empire since the day he was born. Master Skywalker had known about this, and still thought he could make Brakiss see the light.   
But Skywalker was a fool. He had no idea of all the torment and suffering Brakiss had put through in his life—the separation from his mother, the brainwashing, the terrible Imperial training, the nightmares. No one here on Yavin 4 could understand.   
Luckily, the Empire was willing to give him a second chance.   
Brakiss finally reached the cell door, and slipped the identification card through the lock. A green light flashed above the door, and it slid open a second later with a quiet _swoosh_.   
Without hesitation, the HRD stepped into the hallway, looking very much like a fearsome deity about to unleash her wrath upon the people who had imprisoned her.   
Brakiss looked over her shoulder, expecting Neeja to follow her out. But there was no movement from inside the cell. "Hey, where's the Bothan?"   
"I wouldn't go in there if I were you," the droid said coldly, through parted, immobile lips. "Spending so much time in that cramped cell made me feel a littlebloodthirsty. So, as you can guess, it is very messy in there."   
Brakiss shuddered, amazed at the sheer destruction this weapon could cause.   
"Thank you for freeing me," the droid replied. "I owe you my services."   
"I work for Admiral Daala," Brakiss said proudly. "Carry out you—"   
His loftiness was broken as the droid latched onto his chest and extended her fingernails into razor-sharp knives, shoving deep into his flesh. She twisted her hands and ripped them out, trailing strings of gore. Ten ragged holes grew more prominent in his tunic, growing purple with leaking blood.   
Brakiss's mouth opened in a wordless scream of indescribable pain. His eyes grew blank, and his knees buckled until he slumped to the floor.   
"Look on the bright side, Brakiss," the HRD hissed over his defunct corpse. "At least your life isn't so bad anymore."   
  
Callista wandered away from the infirmary and silently trekked the corridors. As far as she could tell, she was alone—but she knew that could not last for long, not at the rate things were going.   
The tunnel was deathly silent, like a tomb, broken only by Callista's own ragged breathing. Sweat ran down her face, stinging her eyes. Callista wiped them away and continued onward.   
As she walked, the image of Djinn Altis played over and over in her mind. Her skin ran cold with fear as she remembered what had happened in the Holocron library, remembered that familiar _feeling_ she had sensed, the images of the _Chu'unthor_.   
Was this happening for a reason, trying to warn her about something, of an impending dangeror was she just going insane?   
Callista was glad to have her Force powers back—she would certainly need them at a time like this—but she still had no idea how they had been restored to her. Was this necessarily a good thing? A few days ago, she would have thought yes, but now   
Was Djinn trying to warn her about _that_?   
Then she recalled the voice in her head. _Luke will die_What had Djinn meant by that? Would the Human Replica Droid kill him?   
Well, Callista was not about to let that happen to Luke—or to anyone for that matter.   
_Never again,_ Callista had promised herself. Not after she had let her mother die.   
Growing up motherless had left Callista permanently scarred. Now, years later, she longed to feel her mother's sweet kiss on her face, the soft texture of her long, black hairbut those were only empty dreams. Callista knew that she could never again regain the innocence she had lost from her mother's death. It was tragic, but true.   
Still, that did not prevent her from dreaming.   
_It_ is_ your fault, you know,_ a voice whispered in her head, alien to her, but dark and seething with evil. _You never loved her at all. She died because of you, you selfish little bitch!_   
As Callista walked, she noticed the walls around her begin to lose shape, to blur, to close in on her. Dizziness washed over her, threatening to propel her into blackness. Very distinctly, she could hear the crashing of waves, and the flapping wings of seagulls   
_You killed your own mother. She will never forgive you._   
Callista closed her eyes, as if doing so would ward these horrible thoughts away. But they always remained in her mind, continued to threaten her, whisper lies into her ears. In her mind, she could visualize the shape of a bottle of drain cleaner   
_When your time comes, join me_   
The corridor melted away, as did Callista. The frightening, unfamiliar voice mixed in with her mother's last words before she had died, and the world Callista knew was enveloped in a bright flash of light—   
_She was seven years old, a child, lumbering through the hallway that led from her bedroom to the house refresher. Her eyes were fixated on the refresher door. The lights were on indicating that someone was in there. Her mother had not come out in a long time, and she could sense that something was wrong_   
_"M-Mama?"_   
_She moved forth, woodenly. She wanted to run, to see if her mother was all right. But time had slowed down around her, and she could barely walk. But she continued to move forth in slow, plodding steps, fear wrapping around her body like an invisible blanket. Outside, she could hear the rest of her family, laughing as they enjoyed themselves on the beach, unknowing of what was going on._   
_Of what was to come._   
_But they would know. They would know very soon_   
_"Mama? Are you all right?"_   
_There was no answer. No answer other than the uncomfortable silence. She could hear movement from inside the refresher, something hitting the floor. Glass shattered, and she could hear herself almost screaming. Something was wrongsomething had happened to Mama._   
_"Mamawhat's going on?"_   
_Still no answer. The silence was terrifying._   
_She was within arm's reach of the door now, terror paralyzing her body. She somehow found the strength to reach out with one tiny, chubby hand and press the button that would slide open the door. It began to open, slowso very, very slow._   
_"Mama?" A small, barely audible squeak escaped her mouth._   
_The door began to open, and a bright light came out, washing over the little girl. A woman's agonized scream cut through the still air, and—_   
Callista opened her eyes and screamed.   
When she finally regained her awareness, she looked around and saw that she was still in the Great Temple, far away from Chad, away from her nightmare. She had been standing in the corridor for Force knows how long. The memory remained clear and frightening in her mind, and she could not stop the tremors that shook her body.   
_I killed her_   
She looked up abruptly when she heard a noise from up ahead.   
Taking a deep breath, the image of the hallway hovering at the fringes of her consciousness, she moved forth again, more cautiously, her feet landing softly and soundlessly. As she moved, she vaguely could hear the sound of footsteps.   
Moving away from her.   
Then a scream.   
Without hesitation, Callista headed for the prison cell that held Neeja and the droid. Something in her gut told her that she had to go there. Although she did not know what to expect—as if things could not get any worse for her, after what she had just seen—Callista had an extremely bad feeling that   
She skidded to a halt, inertia from her headlong flight sending her a few catching steps ahead as she tried to stop.   
There was a body lying on the floor, near the open cell door.   
It was a student.   
Callista dropped to her knees beside the fallen form. It was Brakiss, and one look at him told her that he was dead.   
Swallowing a lump in her throat, Callista took a look inside the cell.   
What she saw staggered her. Apparently, the two roommates had not gotten along so well. The walls of the cell were caked with dried alien blood. As her eyes drank in the horrible sight, Callista saw Neeja, or rather, what _had_ to be Neeja. Her body was completely torn apart. All that remained was a bloodied, unrecognizable mass of flesh and a few tufts of Bothan fur.   
Her hand going up to her mouth to stifle a gasp, Callista backed away from the cell and began running down the hallway. The droid was loose.   
Luke had to know about this immediately.   
Or had the droid already reached him? _Luke will die_   
_No!_ Callista's mind shouted in rage. _I will NOT let that happen! _  
She had barely turned a corner before a figure stepped from the shadows, barring her path. Callista let out an involuntary yelp of surprise and stepped back, her intuition and fear already telling her who it was.   
The figure stepped out of the darkness, revealing the droid.   
"Well, well, well," the droid said as she closed in on Callista. "If it isn't_me_. I see you've noticed my handiwork already," the droid smirked, her eyes drifting toward the Bothan's mutilated corpse. "Nasty little thingIf only she had been more cooperative, I would not havetorn her apart so"   
Her cackles sent chills up Callista's spine. "And Brakiss?"   
"Yes, yesBrakiss," the droid continued, her sneer growing even wider. She looked more like a psychotic serial killer than a droid. "Well, I suppose that's what Daala gets for getting her help from holoads."   
Callista took another step back from the droid, and noticed for the first time that the HRD walked without any trace of a limp. "I saw Luke break your leg earlier. How could you have healed so quickly?"   
"Wouldn't you like to know?" the droid sneered. "Self-repair units can be such a lovely boon to assassin droids, don't you think? It makes killing us even harder than before. I have a question for you: when I kill your lover, should I start by ripping his arms off and work my way down, or the other way around—"   
_If you lay a hand on Luke, I'll_   
Callista took a deep breath. _Calm._ A Jedi must be at calm. At peace. Djinn had drilled this into their heads enough times. The dark side was never the way to the light, she reminded herself. She had to fight to keep her anger at bay here.   
But the sight of Brakiss and Neeja, the blood soaking their lifeless bodiesthe temptation to tear the droid limb from limb was so great—   
"What's the matter, Jedi? Can't find your tongue?" her mirror image taunted. "You're really too squeamish. It's just a little blood"   
"This stops here and now," Callista said, managing to keep her voice even, though the emotions raged within her.   
_Not another onenot another one_   
"Who says? You're not going to stop me, are you?"   
The droid took a step closer to Callista, and Callista's hand automatically went for the lightsaber at her side. She would be ready.   
"You beat me earlier because you had your boyfriend helping you," she said, inching closer to Callista. "But now it's just the two of us. Are you willing to risk it?"   
"A Jedi does what a Jedi must," Callista shot back. She smiled back at the droid, and watched her snarl in response. "I've already died once. I'm not afraid of dying again."   
"Well, I'm glad you feel that way, because you _will_ die today. And so will your beloved Jedi Master!"   
"_NO!_"   
Callista leaped at the droid in fury. Within a few seconds, she tore her lightsaber from her belt, and it _snap-hiss_ed to life, its sun-colored blade casting an eerie yellow hue in the darkness of the corridor. As she moved to strike against her unguarded opponent, something stopped her.   
_Callista_   
She stepped back, and saw that her opponent was just as stunned as she was.   
_Callista, _the voice beckoned again. This time, she knew who it was—it was Djinn. _Anger leads to the dark side. Do not take her bait._   
Callista deactivated her blade and took in a shaky inhale. But a few seconds later, she regretted having disarmed herself.  
Without warning, the droid moved to her left in a blur of inhuman speed. She snatched at the lightsaber clipped to Brakiss's belt, and ripped it free from its deceased owner. The blood-red beam came to life, and the HRD slashed at Callista—narrowly missing her shoulder.   
Callista cursed and reactivated her weapon. Their blades made contact, yellow and red coloring the lifeless crypt with their fire.   
Inch for inch, stride for stride, the droid matched her every move perfectly. And though it did not feel like it overpowered her, neither did she feel she could overpower it.   
Blades humming, crackling in the still, dense air of the hallway, Callista gritted her teeth and drew on all her energy to fight off the droid. She did not know how much longer she could keep doing this.   
Callista drew upon the Force, as Djinn had advised her, using it for the light rather than for the dark. She aimed a chop for the droid's neck, intending to decapitate her right then and there.   
The droid saw the blow coming, and easily deflected the topaz blade aside. She sneered wickedly into the Jedi's face. "You'll have to do better than _that_," she said teasingly, her voice thick with contempt.   
In a lapse of concentration, Callista unleashed her anger and kicked the droid full in the face, catching her off guard. She wasn't completely sure that the blow had hurt, but it was enough to stagger her. She threw a lower kick, catching her in the side, and the droid was knocked against the wall. With a spin, Callista slashed downwards, aiming for the HRD's head—   
Recovering and moving faster than anticipated, the droid blocked the blade with her own. "_Much_ better," she said, as she snatched Callista by the arm and swung her around into the wall, their faces pressed closer together. "But not good enough, I'm afraid." She kept her grip on the other's arm, pressing with almost enough pressure to snap the bone.   
Thinking fast, Callista head-butted the droid. Had the droid been human, the blow would have pulverized her nose. As it was, she staggered back, nearly losing her balance as she hit the opposite wall, her grip on Callista's arm lost. Blood trickled from her nose and mouth in crimson ribbons. When she regained her equilibrium, she charged forth with her saber with a vengeful cry.   
Callista met the red sword's attack, producing sparks that sizzled in all directions. The droid slashed toward her opponent's head, but Callista was able to dodge it by a hairsbreadth.   
In retaliation, she jabbed her blade toward the droid's gut. Unfortunately, her opponent saw it coming, and kicked Callista's wrist, snapping the weapon out of the way. Callista felt as if her fingers had been flattened, but somehow she kept the hilt in her hand.   
In seconds, she resumed her attack position, and the droid came at her with powerful speed.   
The HRD fought with such strength and speed that Callista was finding it difficult to concentrate, even with the Force. Her entire hand was throbbing with pain, making it hard to keep a firm grip on her weapon. Her energy was beginning to wear off, whereas the droid looked as if she could continue to fight well into the night. Callista would have to win this fight quickly.   
But how?   
Finally seeing an opening, Callista chopped the topaz beam down toward the HRD's left arm. But she miscalculated her attack, and the droid was able to avoid the incoming blade. Callista lunged toward her, and the droid sidestepped, grabbed her by the shoulder, and redirected her to the floor, nearly wrenching her shoulder clean out of its socket.   
Callista remained sprawled across the stone floor, her shoulder on the verge of dislocation. She groaned and rose to her hands and knees, her eyes never leaving the grinning droid.   
Her mind whirring, her arm burning with fresh pain from the shoulder all the way down to her bruised fingers, Callista did the only reasonably thing she could do.   
She ran.   
She could hear thundering footsteps behind her as the droid gave chase, but she did not dare look back. She continued running down the darkened corridor, her mind wild with barely controlled fear, reaching out with the Force to anyone who could hear her.   
_ Luke, _she finally whispered, knowing he could hear her wherever he was. _Luke, please come_   
  
"I want you all to be very careful," Luke said in a commanding voice as he stood before the gathered students in the Grand Audience Chamber. The students listened with rapt and horrified attention as their Master informed them of the prisoner's escape. "This droid is extremely dangerous. She has already killed one of my studentsand I don't want that to happen again. If any of you should encounter this droid, don't try to engage it. Run, as quickly as you can, and let me know as soon as possible. I will deal with this situation myself.   
"May the Force be with you."   
With that, the students rose from their seats as one unit, and began filing out of the Audience Chamber. Luke's mind picked up on the dozens of quiet conversations that passed between them, particularly the younger ones. Fear and uncertainty were running rampant in their minds, as well as rage from the older students, who wished for their new threat to be already over.   
Once the last student had left, Kam Solusar and Kirana Ti—two of Luke's original students, and two of the most powerful at that—went up to join the Jedi Master on the dais.   
"Master, I have a bad feeling about this," Kam said honestly. "Judging from what this droid did to Tereias, who knows what else it is capable of."   
"I agree," Kirana Ti added, also showing some traces of uncertainty, which surprised Luke, considering that the warrior woman was normally stoic and calm in situations like this. "I fear for everyone's safety here, Master Skywalker. Especially the younger ones. What if the droid should—"   
"Calm yourselves," Luke quietly admonished them. "The HRD is indeed a lethal weapon, and I also have my concerns, but we can't let our fears hamper us. If we're gong to find it, we have to be patient and calm."   
Their conversation was broken by a loud, shrill scream that invaded his mind. Luke flinched at the river of pain and terror that followed, and he immediately recognized the voice.   
_Luke!_   
"Callista!" Luke said, his voice unusually loud.   
"What is it, Master Skywalker?" Kirana Ti asked.   
"It's Callista," Luke gasped, sudden dread weighing down his gut. "She's in trouble!"   
"The droid," Solusar said.   
It was not a question.   
  
Callista dashed madly down the corridor, her footsteps echoing in the claustrophobic chamber, the pain in her arm now a dull, throbbing ache. A stitch was forming in her side—it had been a while since she had run so hard—and yet she forced herself to keep moving.   
Slowly, but surely, the HRD was gaining on her.   
Callista stumbled and fell. She threw her hands out to catch herself, and the rough stone grated at the flesh of her hands and knees. Desperate, and heedless of the pain, she leaped to her feet and doubled her speed.   
It was hopeless.   
_Luke! _Callista called out to him, near panic. She did not know what else to do. She could not fight the droid by herself, and she could not surrender.   
She needed help.   
_Luke, come quickly!_   
_Fear leads to the dark side_a voice whispered in her ear. The voice of Djinn Altis. _Fear, anger, hopelessnessYou must not lead Luke here, my child. The Force shall guide you when you need it._   
Callista skidded to a stop, the words of her Master resounding in her mind. She turned around and stood firm, waiting for the droid to catch up to her.   
She came seconds later, rounding a corner, Brakiss's lightsaber casting a demonic red glow in the dark tunnel.   
The Human Replica Droid seemed half-surprised, half-amused. "What, you're not keep gonna run away?"   
Callista shook her head, keeping her face a blank, empty mask. "No more running. I'm going to finish this right here, right now."   
"I'm stronger than you, Skywalker, and always will be," the HRD said as she circled around Callista, never taking her eyes off her. The smile never left her face.   
"You're wrong," Callista countered evenly, while at the same time trying to catch her breath from having run so hard. "Evil is never stronger than good. You may be able to kill me, and Luke, and maybe even the entire Jedi Academy, but there will always be more. The dark side may win some battles, but it will never win the war." She wobbled on her feet, her equilibrium fading in and out of effectiveness.   
The droid laughed and kicked her deep in the stomach, seeming to Callista that her foot had left marks on her gut with all the force put behind it. She crumbled, every single cell in her body screaming out in agony.   
As Callista writhed on the floor, she drew on the Force and cleared her mind. _A Jedi does what a Jedi must, _she reminded herself.   
In her mind, she heard Djinn's deep voice spurring her on: _Fight through the pain, the exhaustion, the uncertaintyand never, ever let evil triumph_   
Adamantly, her Master's words surging her with new power, Callista flew from her fetal position and hurled herself at the HRD so quickly that her mirror image had not expected it. They fell to the floor with an ear-crashing _thud_ in a jumble of identical limbs and relentless rage, the droid's head smashing against the hard stone.   
"How does it feel?" Callista said, getting back up, watching as the droid eased up on her elbows.   
The droid gnashed her teeth, and brought her foot up to kick Callista, but this time the Jedi was ready. With the quick reflexes that had been her blessing from the very beginning, she leaped away to avoid the kick, which narrowly missed her forehead.   
The pain crept back to her body slowly. Fire raged under her skin—in the torn tendons and severed ligaments.   
_Just hold on a little longer, _she implored herself. _Just a little longer._   
Another kick to her stomach sent her catapulting across the room, propelled by the air as it left her body. She hit the floor, and slid a full meter before stopping. Her vision blacked, and when it returned, she weakly looked up to see the droid staring down at her, a victorious smile on her blood-red lips.   
The droid loomed over her, Brakiss's lightsaber raised above her head, ready to end Callista's life.   
At the same time, Callista—using the last of her near-gone strength—struck the droid with the Force. The droid cried out in surprise and anger as she was knocked backwards through the air—   
And into the garbage chute.   
Callista could hear the droid shrieking as she slid down the tiny tunnel and into the trash compactor, deep underneath the Great Temple. She stood up and sighed. "Never mess with a Jedi," she said with a relieved grin, followed by several winces as the pain returned to her tenfold.   
Callista, armed with her lightsaber and the Force, headed for the garbage room below, determined to put an end to this once and for all.   
  
"This way!" Luke exclaimed breathlessly as he led Kam Solusar and Kirana Tidown the prison corridor. He ran toward the entrance door, his lightsaber out and ready. His mind was focused on only one thing: to get to Callista.   
"I hope we are not too late," Kirana Ti said as she ran beside him.   
"I think we already are," Luke said gravely, as they rounded the corner and into the adjoining hallway.   
The three halted in unison at the carnage that awaited them, the shock just barely beginning to register on their faces. Off to his side, Luke heard Kirana Ti utter a Dathomirian curse, while Kam gnashed his teeth in disgust.   
The entrance to the HRD's cell was open. As Luke peeked in, he noticed the blood smears on the walls, and the puddle of unrecognizable flesh torn apart on the floorthe remains of the Bothan assassin, Neeja. Outside the cell was Brakiss's corpse, bleeding profusely from his chest, as if someone had dug several sharp blades through his ribs.   
Luke stood in the midst of the atrocity, gaping. The stench was nauseating, and he had to draw upon the Force to prevent from passing out.   
"What happened?" said Kirana Ti, her face pale.   
"I have no idea," he replied.   
  
The garbage chamber was as large as the Audience Hall, and was filled top to bottom with waste—scraps of food, pieces of broken lightsabers, debris, refuse, human and alien waste. Any sort of filth that existed could be found in this room. The smell was unbearable for anyone who entered the area.   
Callista, her lightsaber at her side, cautiously walked across the walkway that separated her from the ocean of trash. She knew the HRD was around here somewherebut where?   
She stretched out with her feelings, her mind probing every area of the garbage chamber. She could feel a dark disturbance emanating from somewhere nearbybut because her enemy was a droid, and not alive, she could not pinpoint its exact location.   
She noticed movement out of the corner of her eye, and she spun around to see her opponent standing behind her, a wicked grin on her beautiful, artificial face.   
"Surprise!" she shouted, already raising her weapon.   
Callista had little time to react before the hilt of the lightsaber fell upon her temple. A burning rise of agony exploded in her skull in a blaze of blinding light, and she vaguely felt herself losing her balance and tumbling off the walkway. The world spun around her as she landed in an enormous pile of wires and plastic, and her vision went black   
Luke heard Callista's silent scream in his mind. "Callista!" he shouted, startling his two students. "I know where she is!"  
"Where?" Kam asked.   
"The garbage chamber," Luke said, very certain. "Come on!"   
They ran.   


*  


The Human Replica Droid laughed—her cackle echoing throughout the vast chamber—as she brought her lightsaber down upon the fallen Jedi, heading for her neck.   
A voice suddenly rang from behind. "Wrong Jedi, lady!"   
The HRD turned in surprise to find Skywalker—along with two more of his students—standing behind her, all three armed with their Jedi weapons.   
"Get away from her," Luke warned in a deep, threatening voice, putting strength behind each and every word.   
The droid locked her cold gaze on him, and then looked down at Callista. Several slow, agonizing seconds passed before she finally relinquished, and stepped away from Callista's unconscious form. "I'm not after her, anyway. My true target is standing right in front of me. Isn't that right, Skywalker?"   
Luke ignored her as he stepped forth. He nodded quickly, and Kam and Kirana Ti went over to pick up Callista and take her away from the fight that would soon erupt between the combatants. They then went to stand on either side of their Master, protectively flanking him.   
"You want me?" Luke said to the droid, his lightsaber the only barrier between him and the assassin. "I'm right here, then. Give me your best shot."   
The droid's smile widened even more. "With pleasure."   
She moved fast, faster than Luke had anticipated. First, she was directly in front of him, the next second she stop atop the tall mound of garbage off to his right. Luke had barely even seen her move, even with the Force.   
A second later, he was met by a hard boot to his face.   
The pain that exploded behind his eyes was excruciating, and he felt his body fall back, hitting the filth-soaked ground. Stars danced across his vision, mixed in with the droid landing before him and attacking with her lightsaber.   
Almost immediately, Kam's lightsaber came up to intercept hers. At first the HRD was surprised, but it quickly vanished as she twisted her wrists, diverting the lightsaber toward Kam's chest. Kam saw it coming and stepped away, but wasn't fast enough. The edge of the red blade brushed against his collarbone, sizzling the flesh it touched. Kam cried out and reeled back, one hand going up to the fresh burn on his chest.   
Luke tried to get up to help his friend, but the pain that raged across his face was so great that he collapsed to one knee. He heard Kirana Ti call out Kam's name and rush to his rescue. The HRD now directed her attention to the warrior woman, ducking an attack that would have taken her head cleanly off. She unleashed a ferocious backhand that snapped Kirana Ti's head to the left, and followed with a kick to the stomach that rendered her sprawling unconscious.   
"No!" Luke cried out, and he was on his feet again, the pain beginning to diminish as he relied on the Force to give him the strength he needed to defeat this killer once and for all.   
The droid spun at the sound of his voice, and unleashed another swing at him with her weapon. Luke narrowly dodged the searing blade, even as she tried a direct jab for the heart.   
Retrieving his fallen lightsaber with the Force, Luke brought his blade up to intersect with the HRD's, and pushed the attack aside.   
His moment of victory was short-lived, though, as the droid brought her fist straight into his jaw. The blow spun Luke around—he distinctly felt one of his teeth dislodge from his mouth—and the droid followed with a sidekick to the small of his back, knocking him against the walkway.   
Luke's lightsaber went sailing from his grip as he fell. As he quickly rose to his knees, the HRD was already moving in for the kill, cold and silent efficiency burning in her lifeless gray eyes. She held her lightsaber in both hands and brought it up, intending to strike a blow that would cleave Luke in two—   
His hands were up in less than a second, snatching her by the arms and twisting them down, forcing her to drop her lightsaber. He knocked her aside with a Force blow, pitching her into a pile of urine and droppings.   
Luke rolled to his feet and flipped onto the walkway, calling his lightsaber into his hand. The droid looked up at him, enraged; Luke merely smiled back, silently beckoning her.   
The droid complied, leaping onto the platform a few six feet away from him. Kam followed suit, and the battle continued.  
Luke aimed a blow that would slice her legs off just above the knees. But the droid was more than capable of avoiding his attack, and she leaped away from the blade, throwing her foot into his back, dropping him to his knees. A searing pain ripped through his spine and down to his legs, and Luke could not hold back a scream.   
As he writhed on the walkway in agony, the HRD spun to face Kam Solusar. The moment their blades met, she thrust her knee up into his gut. The blow connected, hard, drawing out all the air in Kam's body. A second blow brought him to one knee, and the droid climaxed with a knee to his face. Even from where Luke remained on his knees, he could hear the breaking of Kam's nose as the blow struck home. Kam was left moaning on the ground, his hands covering his nose, blood smearing his face and the front of his brown tunic.   
As the HRD turned her attention back to Luke, he attempted another kick, entangling his leg into the droid's, and forcing her off the walkway. The droid cried out in unexpected anger as she fell, the back of her head smashing against a ruined R2 unit.   
Luke leaped off the walkway, intending to use this moment to his advantage. He had barely gone over to the droid's side, however, before he felt her grab him by the front of his jumpsuit and lurch him forward.   
As she pulled him, she sent a painful kick into his face   
Luke fell back, feeling a wash of blood spurt freely from his torn lips. He spat more out as he scrambled to his feet, looking around for his lightsaber. Where had it gone—   
He saw the droid come at him, and he threw a punch at her. The HRD brought her head to the left as the blow sailed past her, leaving her unharmed. He tried again, and the droid's arm came up to deflect it. That alone was enough to cause Luke's hand to go numb, and as he reeled, she threw a succession of punches to his gut, each one connecting, and each one hurting. A right hook to his jaw staggered him back, and the droid moved forth and shoved him with enough force to tear him off his feet. His back bounced hard off the slime-ridden wall, and he nearly fell.   
He had just managed to gain his footing when the droid strode forth and kicked him full in the chest, cracking several ribs and dropping him to the ground.   
The droid's triumphant cackle coursed through Luke's ears, tearing through the fiery pain that burned in his chest, and when he looked up, she was standing over him, her lightsaber once again in her hands. "Mission accomplished, Skywalker," she said as she brought her lightsaber up.   
Her victory was shattered by a startled scream as something invisible snatched her by the neck and lifted her up into the air. The HRD dropped her lightsaber and struggled, her eyes wide with rage.   
"Think again," a voice said, and Luke turned to see Callista, now fully recovered, and soaked in filth. Her eyes were focused entirely on the squirming HRD.   
_Luke, I think it's time to take out the trash, wouldn't you say?_   
Luke's eyes drifted around the vast chamber and rested on the garbage masher pit lying several yards away. A sly smile crept upon his face as he thought-spoke, _Good idea, my love._   
As the droid tried unsuccessfully to break free of the Force grip, Luke and Callista hurled her into the pit.   
The HRD screamed in terror as she plunged deep into the hole. Luke then used the Force to gather as much garbage as he could and dumped it all into the pit, burying the droid in tons of scrap.   
The garbage masher sprang to life, activated by a mere thought from Callista, and the four walls began to close in on each other, compressing the garbage into a neat square half the size of Luke's hand—with the droid trapped inside.   
Luke could barely hear the droid's frightened screams of agony as the wall pressed upon her in all directions, slowly but surely crushing her into a small square, with the rest of the garbage.   
Within seconds, the droid's screams stopped.   
Callista looked over at Luke and sighed. "I hate computers."   
  
Callista climbed out of the bacta tank a few hours later, feeling more refreshed than she had ever since her first encounter with the Replica Droid. Every cut, every bruise she had received at the hands of the look-alike assassin had completely healed up, leaving little to no scars. The bacta experience, however, had been absolutely dreadful, and she hoped never to experience it again.   
"How are you feeling?" Cilghal asked, as she wrapped a towel around Callista's soaked form.   
Callista nodded. "Much better. Thanks, Cilghal." As she began drying her hair, she added, "How's Luke doing?"   
"He's doing fine. He should be out within a few minutes."   
"Good." Callista could feel some of her tension in her chest ease. "And what the others? Are they okay?"   
"Kirana Ti and Kam are doing just fine. They both needed an hour or two of bacta treatment. Kyp's on his feet now. Tionne's condition has stabilized; it looks like she's going to make it. She just needs some rest. You all took some pretty hard knocks today."   
Callista couldn't help but smile. "Tell me about it," she said. "But we got her in the end. Anyways, thank you very much, Cilghal."   
Cilghal nodded back to her. "I'll leave you alone so you can change."   
Cilghal left the room, leaving Callista alone. She looked around as she dried off, still worried that at any moment the HRD would spring on her from behind.   
But it wasn't the HRD that took her by surprise.   
A pair of hands wrapped another towel around her body, and Callista gave an abbreviated scream. She whirled around, holding the edges of her towel to keep it from slipping.   
But it was only Luke behind her, who met her with a kiss on her eyebrow. "Good to see you on your own two feet," he said.   
Callista sighed with relief and leaned against him. "You scared me, you big nerf-herder."   
"I'm sorry," he said, although Callista could see the faint beginnings of a chuckle lining the edges of his mouth. "I promise. It wasn't my intention." He looked at her with an impish grin. "You looked cold."   
"I can take care of myself, thank you very much," Callista shot back playfully, although her own towel was completely soaked by now. She gratefully accepted Luke's and finished drying off.   
With mischievous intent in his eyes, he leaned in and kissed her ear, whispering, "But you _do _look good wet."   
"None of that, Master Jedi," Callista murmured playfully. "Remember, I'm still in a fragile state."   
She moved closer to him and brought her hand up to his face, gingerly tracing the bruises that hadn't quite faded yet, even after the bacta treatment. He flinched a little under her fingertips, and then slowly eased under her touch.   
He brought her close to him, wanting to feel her breath on his cheek—seeking some sort of tangible proof that she was really here by his side, and not in danger of her look-alike assassin. Their light exchange faded to memory and was replaced by the hushed breaths of relief that everything was going to be okay.   
It was Callista who spoke first, to break the long silence between them.   
"It kills me to think that she hurt you like this," she whispered.   
Luke felt her delicate skin grazing his jawline, and he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. "It's over now," he told her. "And I'm fine. We'll, I'll live, anyway." He laughed softly, and she began to laugh with him as well. "I wasn't too crazy about having to go in there, again." He gestured towards the bacta tank, the memories flooding back. Eight years had gone by since the wampa's vicious attack on him, and he could still taste the bacta in his mouth from the last time he had been submerged in the gooey, red liquid.   
"I'm sorry you had to go in there again," she said with a smile of understanding. "But I'm just glad you came out of there okay."   
He nodded and gave her a deep kiss. "Thanks for caring," he whispered. He looked and noticed her bloodshot eyes, the pain and worn exhaustion on her face. "Are you all right?" His hands framed her face in concern.   
"Don't worry about me—"   
"Hey, tough girl," he joked, eliciting a smile from her. "Can you blame the guy who's hopelessly in love with you for worrying about you?"   
"No, I guess not," she admitted. Her cheeks flushed a deep crimson.   
"I know you can take care of yourself," Luke said. "I've seen that for myself, and as a matter of fact, it's one of the reasons I love you so much." He lifted her chin with his finger and brought her face closer to his. "But I can't help it if I get a little protective sometimes. I don't want to see the woman I love get hurt."   
"Just as _I_ don't want to see _you_ get hurt, either," she reminded him. "So, I guess that means we'll just both have to get used to worrying about each other." She laughed, a soft lilt of a laugh that tickled Luke's ears.   
"You've got a deal," he said, reaching over to give her another kiss. "HmmmI better get changed." He smiled sheepishly as he pulled away slightly, and saw that his jumpsuit had gotten wet from the bacta that hadn't yet evaporated from her skin.   
She laughed. "I'm sorry, I guess I didn't towel off enough."   
He watched her laughing in her carefree and spontaneous way, and he marveled at just how! beautiful this woman was. He reached for her hand, and she came to him, pressing herself to him for another impromptu kiss.   
"I feel like a teenager," she said, slightly breathless from laughter. She leaned in close and touched her forehead to his. "That's how you make me feel, Luke."   
He kissed her, and he knew she could feel him smile against her mouth. "Callie," he whispered, his eyes locked with hers. "Marry me. Right here, right now."   
She gasped—he knew she was not expecting him to say that, and he had to admit, _he_ had not expected it either. But as soon as he spoke the words, he knew this: nothing had ever felt so right.   
"I mean it, Callista," he said, breathing into her mouth. "I know it's crazy, and I know it's sudden, but you and I both know it's right."   
She smiled back at him and nodded, and he could see the tears forming in her eyes. "Yes," she whispered. "There's nothing that would make me happier than being your wife, Luke Skywalker."   



	3. A Proposal

Forever Home: A Luke and Callista Story  
  
Part 3  


  
Deep in the jungle, along the banks of the Massassi River, where the garbage from the Great Temple was deposited in on a daily basis, a dark figure emerged from the murky water. A single hand shot out, breaking through the surface, covered in filth.   
Slowly, a disfigured shape crawled out of the river and curled up at the shore under the star-filled night sky. Within minutes, its wounds began to heal. Its twisted, mutilated limbs pulled themselves straight, popping back into their sockets. Its torn skin mended itself, once again becoming clear and whole.  
By the time ten or fifteen minutes had passed, the Human Replica Droid was back to normal, thanks to the technology of internal self-repair units.   
In silence, she headed toward her destination.   
  
  
"I can't believe this is truly happening," Callista said, now fully clothed, as she wrapped her arm around Luke's waist, resting her head on his shoulder. "Suddenly everything I've ever wanted in my life is happening all at once...I feel like I'm living in a dream. That I could wake up at any moment and none of it will have happened.  
"But it has," Luke replied softly, kissing the crown of her head. She could feel his emotions pouring into her, feelings of joy and love. "Callista, I love you more than anyone in my life. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me. And nothing would honor me more than being able to call you my own.  
Callista almost began to cry at that point. All her life, she had longed for this. Not just to get married, but also to finally be happy, start a family, her greatest wish apart from becoming a Jedi Knight. Her life had been burdened with so much sorrow and death, and to spend the rest of her life with this man, who had saved her life so many times, and loved her every bit as much as she loved himit was a dream come true for her.   
"And _nothing _would honor _me_ more than being yours," Callista said as she wrapped her other arm around his waist and embraced him. He returned it with equal ardor, and at that point, neither of them could have been happier.   
"Sodoes that mean it's a yes?"   
Callista chuckled. "Of course it's yes!" She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again.  
I would love to have a huge wedding, Luke said. With all of our friends, our family. I want to show you off to the whole galaxy.  
Callista blushed, and smiled at him.   
You in a marvelous white wedding dress," Luke said, playfully twirling Callista around, as if they were dancing.   
"And you in the finest suit the Republic can afford," Callista put in. "It would be a wedding of galactic proportions."   
"Sounds a lot like Han and Leia's wedding," Luke said with a chuckle.   
Or we could settle for an old-fashioned Jedi wedding," Callista said, as she couldn't help but smile at their fantasy wedding. "You know, have all our closest friends attend. You and me side by side, our hands intertwined as we recite our vows_that_ would be my ideal wedding."   
"Have you ever been to a wedding, Callista?" Luke suddenly asked.   
Callista sighed as she struggled to recall the events in her life before the _Eye of Palpatine_. Most of them were vague and clouded in mystery, but some things stood out almost clear for her"I had two close friends; I can't remember their names. They were engaged to be married, buthappeneed, it never came to be" She trailed off, not wishing to divulge everything that had happened during the time of the Jedi purges, especially not to Luke. That only brought more painful memories for her, of friends long gone   
Luke could sense her distress; he brought her closer to him, his presence enough to soothe some of her emotions. "I'm sorry, Callista, for everything that happened to you. I can't promise to undo thembut I _will_ promise to give you a happier life than what you've known." He smiled. "And no matter what, I'll always love you."   
_How does he do that? _ She thought as she embraced him again. _Make me forget everything?_ "Thank you, Luke. You have no idea how much that means to me."   
As they both smiled and began to seal their joy with another kiss, Luke heard the sound of frantic footsteps out in the hallway.   
"Did you hear that?" Callista asked him, before he could even say the words himself.   
"Yeah," he said. "Let's go check it out."   
As they both headed out into the corridor, their joy of getting married momentarily interrupted, Kirana Ti stepped in their way, a look on concern on her face. "Where is Kyp?" she asked.   
Luke and Callista exchanged confused looks. "We haven't seen him since the incident in the garbage chamber," Luke replied. "Why?"   
"I had a terrible premonition," Kirana Ti said. "I was meditating in my room, and I saw_blood_. _Kyp's _blood."   
Luke's hand tightened around Callista's. "We better go look for him."   
  
Kyp slammed full force into the cafeteria wall, sliding slowly to the floor, relearning how to breathe. He wiped blood from his mouth and looked up at his nemesis, unable to disguise his fear.   
"Where is Skywalker?" the HRD demanded for the hundredth time, her voice climaxing into shouts.   
Rather than answer, Kyp struggled to get back up, and threw a swing for the droid's head. But she moved too fast for him, swerving her head to one side just in time. She ducked a second blow, and shoved Kyp back against the wall, hard enough to loosen several bricks.   
"I am losing my patience, Jedi. Tell me where he is, or I will break your scrawny little neck."   
Kyp said nothing. There was no way he was going to let this murderer within even a hundred feet of his Master—   
Finally losing her temper to the fullest extreme, she rushed him in a breathtaking blur of swiftness, launching a furious stream of blows for his head and gut, intent on wringing any and all information out of him, even if it meant beating him to a bloody pulp.   
Kyp let the Force flow through him, controlling his actions, obeying his commands, and his hands came up to block the flurry of fists that sailed in his direction. For a long time, the Jedi and the droid were locked in deadly combat, throwing blow after blow after blow. Kyp managed to parry the HRD's attacks, but his own punches were fruitless. The HRD may not have been Force-sensitive, but she was strong and fast, ten times more so than a human.   
They were evenly matched.   
In the midst of the incoming blows, Kyp lost his focus for a brief second as a thin layer of salty perspiration slid into his eyes. He was caught off guard for only a second or so, but it was all the time the droid needed. She threw her fist, catching him directly in the ribs, knocking him back against the wall.   
Kyp was breathless, a sharp pain running through his chest. He was not exactly sure, but he thought that the blow had cracked at least one or two of his ribs. As he took in several deep breaths, wincing at the quick pain that followed, he aimed a roundhouse kick for the droid's head, backing it up with enough power to break the neck of a human being, or even a Wookiee.   
The droid easily evaded the kick, ducking and come back up in the space of two seconds, leering at the Jedi. Kyp gritted his teeth, unwilling to admit defeat, and swung a powerful jab for her throat—   
And ended up getting snatched by the droid in mid-swing.   
"Very well!" she all but roared, squeezing his upper arm hard enough to leave bruises. "If you won't tell me anything, then I have no further use for you."   
_Master Skywalker! Callista! If any of you can hear me, get to the cafeteria quick. The droid—_   
His message was shot as the droid threw him into the air. He sailed at an uncontrollable momentum until his body smashed into a cafeteria table, completely demolishing it. He laid there, on the verge of unconsciousness, coated in stone and wooden shards. Blood flowed from dozens of shallow wounds all over his body.   
As Kyp fought through the painful haze that clouded his eyes, he looked up to see the droid pounce.   
  
Despite the residual pain left in her body, Callista sprinted to Kyp's chambers, her heart throbbing in her ears in a terrified pattern. When she paused in the doorway, she saw that Kirana Ti's premonition had come true, such as it was.   
Blood was splattered all over the walls. The room had been turned upside-down, as if a storm had secretly raged inside it. Apparently, the HRD must have crept in through the window while Kyp had been sleeping and attacked him. Judging by the ramshackle sight, they had taken their fight to another area of the Great Templebut where?   
She silently cursed under her breath, and then hushed herself. For a brief second, she had heard something, emanating—from the kitchen!   
Before she had even consciously realized that, she was running in that direction.   
  
The HRD lifted Kyp over her head like a rag-doll and just as easily tossed onto the kitchen counter. Kyp grunted as he landed, and rolled to the floor, smacking against one of the cooling units used to store food.   
The HRD chuckled. "Nothing changes, does it? You went from beatings on Kessel and the Maw to beatings on Yavin 4."   
Fighting through the blackness closing on his vision, Kyp managed a stifled, "What?" How had she known about the Maw? Unless   
Her foot smashed his face, sending him reeling into darkness.   
  
Callista bolted into the kitchen just in time to see the droid render a bleeding Kyp Durron unconscious.   
_Okay, I've had just about enough_she thought. "Hey!"   
The droid turned, unperturbed by the unexpected appearance of her new "guest". Her human face formed a sneer. "Back for more, are you? Well, you were fun. I like fun." She took a few steps toward the real Callista, her eyes resembling those of a cat about to pounce on a fat, lame mouse.   
Callista touched her lightsaber, readying herself to fight her to the death. "You just don't know when to quit, do you?" She beckoned the droid forth with her fingers. "Come on, let's finish this, you and me. Let's see which one's the better Callista."   
The droid's smile melted, transforming into an animal snarl. "You know, I would, but this mission is really starting to bore me. I would like to finish it as soon as possible." With almost magical speed, she produced two blaster pistols from what seemed like out of nowhere, one in each hand, both pointed at Callista. "So, no more kid gloves."   
Her snarl widening—if such a feat were possible—the HRD began to press the triggers of both weapons—   
"_NO!_"   
Kyp rose to his feet, his face and arms badly cut up and seeping with blood. He rushed forth to disarm the droid.   
The droid did two things at once. First, she spun around, focusing momentarily on the dark-haired young man. At the same time, her finger squeezed on the trigger of the left blaster. A single red bolt lanced out of the weapon, striking Kyp directly in the left side of the chest. Kyp screamed in pain and staggered against the wall, falling to his knees.   
"Kyp!" Callista cried out, horrified. Was he dead?   
The HRD turned her attention back to Callista, unleashing a salvo of laser bolts in her direction. Callista immediately retreated, seeking refuge behind one of the cafeteria tables. She Force-pulled several chairs in the room to pile before her, creating a shield before her and the hail of lasers.   
"Oh, come now, Callista!" the HRD called out, her voice thick with scorn. "Don't tell me that a Jedi as powerful as you is afraid of two puny little blasters. How pathetic."   
Callista could hear the droid coming closer, still shooting. One bolt exploded the table leg to her left, almost slicing her ear completely off. Callista cursed and did a shoulder-roll that landed her behind another table.   
The HRD followed Callista's movement, and opened fire. Callista stood from her hiding place and used the Force to deflect the bolts that sizzled in her direction. Most of them were redirected into the walls and floor, but Callista managed to send one back toward the HRD, catching her in the abdomen. The droid staggered back.   
Callista watched in fascinated horror as the burn on the droid's stomach began to heal, disappearing within seconds. The droid looked down at the hole made in her jumpsuit, and back up at Callista, grinning.   
"You never learn, do you?" she snapped, pumping more shots in her direction.   
Callista ducked and hugged the cold stone floor for cover. The bolts flew over her head, tearing fresh new holes into the wall behind her. Footsteps, and then the droid was atop the table Callista was using for shelter, staring mercilessly down at her.   
Callista thought fast, and directed the Force at the table, lifting it upwards and causing it to tip over, with the droid still on top of it. The HRD shrieked as her feet left the table, and landed none too gently on her back.   
She was up within seconds, and the two opponents glared at each other across the upturned table, Callista with her still-deactivated lightsaber, the HRD with her blasters. For a moment, neither of them spoke or moved, just glanced at each other as if they were looking at a mirror.   
"Give it up," the droid snarled. "You're not going to win."   
"We'll see about that," Callista shot back, as she prepared to activate her lightsaber.   
_Use the Force, Callista_   
Djinn's voice echoed through her head. A grin of satisfaction spread across her face.   
_An excellent idea, Master. _She called upon her regained powers and raised her hand. One of the far cupboards flew open,revealing a healthy supply of culinary knives. Slowly at first, then all at once, the knives flew from their racks and into the HRD's back, where they stuck firmly, held in place by circuits and wires.   
The droid jolted in shock, dropping her weapons, but it was not enough to stop her.   
Which Callista knew.   
Which was why she went for the Bothan's arsenic store next. _Rather ironic. The murderous Bothan taking revenge, even in death_   
The bottles flew over the HRD's head, and exploded all at once. The acidic liquid cascaded over the droid's synthflesh, sizzling with the contact. The droid finally began to slow down. The real Callista had overloaded the self-repair unit.   
The HRD no longer even had a prayer.   
"_Now_ for the fun part, you motherless piece of machinery." Callista raised her lightsaber and lit the topaz blade, relishing the moment for just a second. Then, with every ounce of her strength and rage, she swung the blade without hesitation and sliced through the falling droid like butter.   
In a split second, the most frightening scream of terror Callista had ever heard tore into the air. She pulled out her blade from the trembling droid's body and looked at her.   
She felt her hands shake uncontrollably as she watched her mirror image crumple in pain, balled up in an embryonic position. A strange, whirring noise escaped her mouth as her damaged self-repair unit strained to mend her wounds, but its effort was fruitless. Within seconds, the droid's movements had begun to slow down, and eventually stopped.   
And it was over.   
The next few seconds went by in a blur as Luke and the others came in. She felt him rush to her side, and she gladly collapsed in his arms, letting the emotions she had fought to keep at bay while fighting the doppelganger pour out of her like water from the sky.   
"Callie, are you all right?"   
She tried to will herself not to shake, but even as Luke held her, she trembled uncontrollably. "I'mfine," she stammered, knowing that her own voice betrayed her.   
"The hell you are," Luke said, throwing a glance over at the fallen body of the HRD. He looked away in disgust and rested his eyes back at her. "Is this thing ever going to be over?"   
She forced herself to look at the droid, remembering the wicked hum of her blade when it had sliced through her body, then she looked away again. "I think," she whispered, "I overloaded her regeneratorOh, stars, please let this be over"   
She staggered to her feet and pulled Luke gently to where Kyp's slumped body lay. He had succumbed to unconsciousness again during the fighting. "Kyphe needs our help."   
Luke's eyes widened when he saw Kyp on the floor, and he waved the others in the room. "Call Cilghal!" he yelled, gathering Kyp up in his arms. His student's body was limp and lifeless, but Callista could hear his shallow breathing.   
"He's lost so much blood," Callista whispered, seeing the pool of blood underneath him.   
Luke looked up at her, his eyes grim and somber.   
  
Luke and Callista waited outside the infirmary as Cilghal tended to Kyp Durron. The Calamarian had hurried to the cafeteria moments after Callista had destroyed the HRD, and immediately ministered to the young man. The remains of the Human Replica Droid were incinerated, and the ashes poured into the garbage chamber, where she would never pose a threat to the Jedi again.   
So far, it had been four hours. And there had been no change in Kyp's state.   
Maybe if I'd gotten there sooner... Callista whispered.  
  
If I'd gotten to the kitchen sooner, she wouldn't have been able to hurt him so badly.  
"You know that's not true," Luke said, pulling Callista around so that her eyes met with his. "Kyp would've died if it hadn't been for you. You destroyed the HRD. If anything, you should be commended." He brought her closer to him, kissing her atop the crown. "Djinn would've been proud of you."   
"You don't understand, Luke," Callista said, her voice thick with emotion. "I killed that droid, and felt _good_ about it.I _enjoyed_ killing herand when I realized what I was doing, I became so frightened. It was like I was someone else altogether"   
_ Luke will die_   
"Master Skywalker?"   
Luke and Callista turned to see Cilghal exit the infirmary. "Yes, Cilghal?"   
  
"Kyp's awake now," the Calamarian reported. "Just barely, though. It took several dips in the bacta tank, but it looks like he's going to pull through."   
Luke and Callista heaved a simultaneous sigh of relief. "Can we see him?" Callista requested.   
Cilghal nodded.   
Together, Luke and Callista went into the room. Kyp laid on the operating table, his face still streaked with cuts from the attack. He had taken a very severe beating from the HRD, but he had made it. The worst was over.  
"Hey, Kyp," Luke whispered, stroking the young man's black hair.   
"M-Master" Kyp wheezed out. His eyes met Callista, and he recoiled in fear.   
"It's okay, Kyp," Callista soothed. "It's me." She gently kissed him on the forehead, careful not to touch his wounds. "You're going to be all right."   
"Thank you," Kyp whispered, his voice barely audible. "Yousaved my life."   
"Kyp, did the droid say anything to you while you fought?" Luke asked.   
Kyp managed a slight nod. "Yes_Daala_."   
"What?" Luke had barely heard it. "What did you say?"   
"D-Daalashe sent the droid"   
With that, Kyp closed his eyes.   
Cilghal said softly. "It's best for you two to leave now, Master Skywalker."   
Luke nodded, and he took Callista by her hand and left the room.   
Who's Daala? Callista asked  
  
Imperial Commander Kelron had been waiting for this moment for a long time.   
Admiral Daala had just given him a new set of instructions, for the first time since the HRD had been unleashed upon the Jedi Academy. Apparently, Skywalker had foiled the HRD's assassination attempts—much to Daala's disappointment; she had been looking forward to seeing the droid bring back a "trophy" of Skywalker's.   
That left Daala no other choice but to eliminate Skywalker the old-fashioned way. Kelron had been left with a small group of soldiers, which would hopefully be enough to keep the Jedi at bay before the main fleet arrived.   
He was more than confident it would suffice.   
Kelron stood before the gathered stormtroopers in the jungle. "My friends, I regret to say that the Human Replica Droid has failed in her mission. She fought bravely, but the Jedi prevailed in the end.   
"But _we_ will not fail. Admiral Daala's orders are to proceed immediately to the Great Temple and exterminate every last Jedi. She and Vice Admiral Pellaeon will bring the entire fleet here soon and obliterate the Jedi Academy from orbit."   
He glanced at his entire army—stormtroopers numbering in the dozens, AT-ST scout walkers, Flying Fortresses, it was an awesome sight, and a force to be reckoned with. Even the Jedi would have a hard time dealing with them.   
"Find Skywalker and bring him alive to me," Kelron continued. "Or his head. Either way, Daala will be satisfied." He raised his fist into the air. "For the glory of the Empire!"   
"_For the glory of the Empire!_" the stormtroopers shouted in unison, raising their blasters into the air.   
Kelron waited a moment, and then said, "Let's go."   
With that, the entire army of Imperials marched through the jungle, heading for the Great Temple.   
  
After the initial commotion had died down, Luke walked with Callista to her room**, **doing his best to reassure her that everything was under control, and failing in the process. "Trust me, Callista, you need to rest."   
"But I can's sleep, Luke," Callista protested as she opened the door and went inside her private quarters. "Not with the possibility of Imperials attacking the Academy. There has to be something I can do."   
"Don't worry," Luke assured her, kissing her on the cheek. "There'll be plenty of time for that tomorrow. I have scouts patrolling the outskirts of the Academy. If they see any signs of trouble, they'll notify us immediately."   
He kissed her again, feeling some of her spirits lift, as she lay down on her bed. "Now, go to sleep, my love," he whispered in her ear. "If you need anything, let me know."   
Before Callista could reply, he was out the door.   
Callista sighed and rested the back of her head on the pillow, staring up at the ceiling, watching as the faintest streaks of sunlight indicating the coming of dawn slipped through the tiny crevices in the stone. How could she possibly sleep at a time like this? Especially when the Academy was being threatened by the Empire, and under the leadership of Daala, whom Callista had heard enough from Luke and Han to deduce that she was a formidable opponent indeed.   
As she tried to sleep, the events that had transpired in the past few days—the assassin, the dreams of Djinn Altis, Kyp's injuries, the HRD, Admiral Daala, the mysterious way in which she had regained her powers—ran hauntingly through her mind, not allowing her a moment of peace. And through it all, she could feel that strange, dark presence she had felt on the night the Force had returned to her   
Still, despite all that, Callista eventually drifted off into blackness.   
As she slept, she dreamed. The familiar crashing of waves upon the shore jerked her awake. As her eyes slowly fluttered open, she gasped as a cold rush of water flowed underneath her, soaking the back of her clothes and hair and sending a freezing shudder through her body. She sat up, the scent of saltwater strong in the air. As her eyes adjusted to her new surroundings, she saw with a sudden, horrific realization that she was no longer on Yavin 4.   
She was home again.   
On Chad.   
Callista stood up—she had been lying on the shore, and was covered in wet sand—on shaky legs and allowed her eyes to drink in the watery landscape, mournfully gazing at the calm blue ocean that surrounded the island she had once called home. She saw her father running with their pet mooka, Jeebie, along the coastline of the beach. She saw her younger brother fishing on the dock near their little beach house. She felt the cool wind slap gently at her face, a sensation she had relished as a child. Her older sisters were nowhere to be seen; perhaps they were already at school. And her mother—   
_Mama_   
Tears began to streak down her eyes as she gazed at the wonderful, familiar sight. How she missed this place. It had been her home for seventeen years. Neither the humid jungles of Yavin 4, nor the bustling metropolis of Coruscant, could ever hope to match the beauty of the oceans of Chad. This place would always have a special place in her heart, despite what had happened   
And as Callista stood there, watching with a stony face masked with tears as her brother cheered as he caught a tiny silverfish, and her father laughing and smiling with approval and pride, the memories came back to her. Despite her love of the sea, and of her childhood home, her life on Chad had been among the worst years of her life. Her mother's suicide, and the aftermath, when everyone had blamed her for what had happened. She remembered her sisters alienating her, her father distancing himself as the years went on, her stepmother's growing depression, and her final day on this world, when her father had kicked her out, telling her to never return   
Something caught the corner of her eye, and she looked up to see a lone figure staring down at her from a cliff face, the tallest point on the island. Callista stared back, unable to get a good look at it. For some reason, the way its silent, hidden eyes remained upon her chilled her to the bone.   
_Callista_   
Her curiosity aroused, she began running toward the steep path that led up to the cliff. As she ran, she saw a pack of salt-birds flutter from a bush, surprised by her unexpected presence. She could hear the roar of a sand-dragon that had just caught its most recent prey, its yellowed teeth now caked with fresh blood and bits of flesh.   
Callista ran, away from her home, away from her family, from the comforting beach that beckoned her, from the world she had once known. Thunder erupted from the sky, and tiny raindrops poured from the clouds.   
Callista's brown hair was matted, and her clothes were soaked. Still, she pressed on, determined to find out who this mysterious figure was. She ran past the Twin Caves—where she and her brother had used to play in when they were children—and past the lagoon where she had sheared wander-kelp with her father, and where Master Altis had first found her, thus setting her forth on a path that had forever changed her life.   
Past her childhood.   
_Who was this person staring down at her?_   
She looked up and saw that she was getting closer. The sky was darkened with black clouds. The rain became more violent, and a bolt of lightning flashed over her, illuminating her in harsh, white colors. Still, despite the chaos, a deadly beauty remained in it.   
A beauty she had not seen for years now.   
She finally reached the cliff face, ragged and panting, and headed toward the mysterious figure. It was cloaked entirely in black, staring down at the ocean, paying her no heed.   
Suddenly, as if by a silent command, the specter turned and removed the hood that concealed its face. Callista gasped at the mane of black hair that came into view, the green eyes that had stared up at her with no life left in them when she had been seven years old.   
"Mama?" she whispered.   
"Callista," she said, in a bitter and tired voice. "You have come back to me."   
For a long time, neither spoke, the only sound the crashing of waves against the cliff, the long, thunderous crackles of the storm, the harsh pitter-patter of the rain as it hit the ground. Callista stared, speechless, into her mother's eyes, a pair of eyes she had not seen for over forty years"Why did you do it?" she finally asked. "Why did you have to leave me?"   
"Because I loved you," her mother said. "Because it was what you had always wanted."   
"What?" Callista said, unable to believe what she was hearing. Overhead, the rain continued pouring down. "What do you mean?"   
"All your life, you looked up to your father," her mother explained, anger now evident in your voice. "You loved _him_, as he loved you. It was always _Papa_ you wanted. Whenever you had a secret to keep, you shared it with _him_. Whenever you had a problem, you always asked _him_ for help. _Never_ me. No, you never cared much for Mama, did you? My only purpose was to give birth to you, and after that, I was just there to fill up empty space, isn't that right?"   
"That's not true!" Callista snapped. "I loved you both very much. It was just—"   
"Just _what_? You loved him more than me!" her mother shouted, her voice rising even above the storm. "He was your entire life! And Iwas _nothing_. You could have cared less what happened to me. _That's _why I killed myself. I fulfilled the one thing you ever asked of me!"   
Callista covered her ears. Already, she could envision the bottle of arsenic clutched in her mother's lifeless hand"I won't listen to this anymore." She looked up into those green eyes, accusing. "You are _not_ my mother! My mother would never say such things!"   
"Oh, really?"   
Her hand suddenly reached out, snatched Callista by the arm. As Callista struggled, she watched, terrified, as her mother's face started to melt, the skin falling off as if struck by a rotting disease, revealing the bone beneath. Her body began to fall apart, and she began to laugh.   
The burning stench of death and decay seeped into Callista's nostrils, choking her. "No!" she screamed, trying to break free. "No! _No! Get away from me!_"   
"But I'm your mother, Callista," the corpse cackled. "I'm _never_ going to leave you!"   
Callista screamed as the demon shoved her off the cliff. She plummeted down toward the ocean, her shrieks drowned under the raging storm, which grew more and more intense as the seconds passed. Her mother's laughter echoed in the dark sky as Callista crashed into the sea   
"Callista! Callie, shhh, it's all right, it's all right"   
Luke's voice tugged her out of the dream. Slowly, the grogginess and disorientation faded, and she found herself in his arms, Luke pressing her close to him, stroking her hair.   
"What are you doing back here?" Callista whispered in the darkness.   
"I heard you scream," Luke said. "I had to come find out if you were all right."   
She gently shrugged out of his arms and rose from the bed, making her way to the lone window in the room.   
"Are you all right?" Luke asked.   
She shook her head. "I don't know." She heard him walk up behind her, felt his warm hands on her shoulders, and she turned around to face him. "I don't know how to say this, Luke, but"   
"But what? What's wrong, Callie?"   
"I just have this feeling that the danger isn't over, Luke. And it's more than just the Imperials, it's" She sighed and unfolded her arms from her chest, running a hand through her disheveled curls. "Just now, I had a dream that my mother came back for meonly it _wasn't_ my mother, Luke. It was someonetrying to kill me"   
His hands reached for her immediately, as if he were afraid she would slip away from him now if he did not hold onto her. "What happened? What happened in your dream?"   
"I don't remember muchI just" She let out a sigh of frustration and banged at the wall. "Blast it! Why can't things just be simple with us, Luke?"   
He gave her a crooked smile, one that made her laugh out loud in spite of herself. "Because this stuff seems to follow us around wherever we go."   
She nodded. "Well, one thing's for sure," she said, walking into his arms. "Life will never be boring for us, will it?"   
"No, it won't be." He pulled away from her and took her face in his hands—a gesture that always made her melt. "We never _did_ get to finish our conversation from earlier."   
She smiled slyly. "And what would that be, Master Skywalker?"   
"Hmmlet me refresh your memory" He pulled her closer and gave her a kiss that made every cell in her body come alive.   
"Oh, yes," she murmured, "I vaguely recall something about that."   
A bone-crushing sound rang out in the next instant, jolting them both.   
Callista held her breath, and looked automatically to Luke. "What now?" she whispered.   
Cilghal burst into the room at that moment, panting.   
"Cilghal," Luke asked, as Callista pulled away from him. "What is it?"   
Cilghal took a deep breath. "The Imperials. They're here."   
  
In just under five minutes of the initial wave of alarms, the atmosphere of the Jedi _Praxeum_ had changed from peace to panic. Students rushed from their quarters, having been jarred awake by the encroaching threat, and rushed to arm themselves. Luke and Callista fought through the crowd of frightened and excited students, their destination the hangarbay.   
"Luke, where are we going?" Callista asked, running side by side with him, already running out of breath at the sheer effort of trying to keep up with him.   
"The _Shapeshifter_," Luke said through ragged gasps. "We need to get up into orbit."   
The temple bay, once housing dozens of starfighters in the early days of the Rebel Alliance, when they had launched their desperate attack on the Death Star, was now empty save for a single ship, the _Shapeshifter_. A G-37 freighter, and about half the size of the _Millennium Falcon_, although in much better shape and with a sleek, chrome-colored hull, the _Shapeshifter_ had been a gift from Leia two years ago on Luke's lifeday. He had seldom needed to use it before—but now seemed like a very good time to try it out.   
"Nice ship," Callista said with a whistle, as Luke extended the boarding ramp. She stepped up and headed inside, when Luke grabbed her arm.   
"Callista, I don't want you up there with me," Luke said firmly.   
"Who died and made _you_ Chief of State?" Callista said back, half-joking, half-angered. She knew that Luke meant well, and could see the concern he had for her in his eyes, but a small part of her was offended that he thought she could not handle herself in battle.   
"Callista, do you have any idea what we'll be going up against?" he said, still not determined to give in. "Daala has an _entire_ fleet up there. Destroyers numbering in the dozens. This mission is going to be very dangerous, and I can't risk you."   
"It's _my_ decision, Luke," Callista said, penetrating his gaze. "If you go up there, I'm with you every step of the way."   
"Callista, I won't let you—" But even as the words left Luke's mouth, he knew that she was incapable of saying no.   
"You can't stop me, Luke. I'm a big girl, remember? I can take care of myself!" Her voice softened, as she began to calm her slowly growing frustration. "Look, I know you're worried about me after everything that's happened, but I'm a Jedi, too. I've seen things in my past life that you can't even begin to comprehend. I've gotten back my connection to the Force, and as long as I have that, I'm not backing away from _any_ threat. Whether it's the Imperials, or assassin droids, oreven some deranged, all-powerful god bent on destroying the entire universe!" She looked into his eyes again and entangled her fingers around his hand. "I love you, Luke, and I'm not letting you face Daala alone."   
Luke remained silent for a moment, and finally sighed. "I don't agree with it at all, Callista, and I wish I could change your mindbut your stubbornness is one of the reasons why I love you so much." He finally gave her a smile, and led her up the _Shapeshifter_'s ramp.   
As the first main Imperial bombardment began, the _Shapeshifter_ left the Great Temple and headed into space.   
Now all we have to do is figure out what to do once we get up there, Luke said, and Callista smiled.  
I think I have an idea.  
  
Kirana Ti leaped from the north watchtower the moment turbolasers began raining from the early morning sky. "Kam!" she called, unbuckling her lightsaber, the walls around her shuddering from near-direct hits. "Streen! They're here!"   
She emerged into the main hallway, where students were filing out of the Great Temple. A thousand conversations flooded in the corridor, most of the voices laced with fear. Several of the younger children were sobbing, while the older ones did their best to comfort them. Already, Kirana Ti could hear the first faint stirs of TIE fighters circling the ancient Massassi structure.   
Kam pushed through the tangle of people his eyes wild and frenzied. "How many, Kirana Ti?"   
"_A lot_," was her answer. "There must be over a hundred stormtroopers marching through the jungle. We may have ten minutes at the most before overrun the temple."   
"Then we don't have much time," Kam said, and yelled over to Cilghal over the roaring din, "Cilghal, get to the infirmary! Protect Kyp!"   
"Never mind that!" Kyp Durron yelled.   
Kirana Ti turned and saw him running toward them, his head bandaged but his eyes bright with the anticipation of battle. He brandished his lightsaber high in the air. "Let's kick some Imperial tail, kids! The fun's not over yet!"   
  
"Callista, I don't like it." And he didn't. They were two people, all alone and relatively unarmed. And Callista wanted to land on the _Knight Hammer_ itself and disable it from the inside. "It's suicide."   
"My favorite," she said with grim humor. "Luke, I know it sounds crazy, but _look_ at that thing." She pointed at the black behemoth looming before them. Even as they looked at it, they came under a barrage of TIE fire. "The armor is impenetrable."   
"And so is the security," Luke countered, as he worked furiously to avoid the horde of laser bolts that slammed against their shields.   
Callista grinned. "Not really."   
Luke looked at her. "Oh, great. What are you thinking?"   
She glanced back into the cabin. "This ship is equipped with spacesuits. We suit up, eject from the ship, and land on the hull. We find a breach, or make one. Either way, it's our only chance to take this thing out."   
Luke nodded. "Okay. What if it doesn't work?"   
"Let's only worry about that if it doesn't. Come on. Let's get started."   
  
"_Imperials?_" Han Solo said with surprise. "Oh, great! What kind of trouble has Luke gotten into, now?"   
"We're about to find out," replied Leia, in a strangely calm voice. It had been over an hour since Coruscant had received the call from Yavin 4 of the threat of an Imperial attack looming over the horizon. Apparently, Daala had acted much sooner than any of them had anticipated. The moment they had received the distress signal, Leia had ordered the deployment of the entire Republic fleet, which would hopefully arrive within the hour. Meanwhile, she, Han and Chewbacca had left on the _Millennium Falcon_, while Mon Mothma remained on Coruscant to manage affairs in Leia's absence.   
Leia took another deep breath, trying to apply a Jedi relaxation technique Luke had taught her so many times before. She had managed to quell the terror that threatened to spill, but just barely. She cursed herself the umpteenth time for not having spent more time devoted to her Jedi training as she awaited the _Falcon_ to leave hyperspace.   
The starlines finally became pinpricks in the black canopy of space as the _Falcon_ entered the Yavin System. Chewbacca roared at the sight that awaited them. Leia's reaction wasn't that much different.   
It seemed that Daala—whom they had assumed died in the battle for Maw Installation—had put together an impressive force. One Super Star Destroyer, two-dozen Imperial Star Destroyers, and twice as many Skipray blastboats. One of them—having picked up the new arrival on its sensors—fired at the _Falcon_.   
"Why do they always insist on doing this the hard way?" Han quipped, as he returned fire, reducing the Imperial ship into sparks and incandescent particles of hull.   
"In the name of Alderaan," Leia whispered. "I didn't think it would be _this_ bad."   
They landed hurriedly on the jungle moon, and were greeted with the heat of battle in progress. TIE fighters roared across the sky, pummeling the Great Temple with their laser cannons, while AT-ST scout walkers marched through the foliage, firing at anything that moved. At the base of the Massassi structure, Jedi trainees regrouped and headed off in different directions, ready to do battle with the enemy.   
Kyp Durron ran to meet them as they exited the _Falcon_. He was breathless and sweaty, but he smiled. "Han, Leia, you really picked the right time to drop in, he said as they ran for the shelter of the temple.  
Despite the chaos around them, Han grinned at his friend. "Yeah, Leia and I were actually beginning to enjoy a normal and uneventful day—haven't had one of those in a while—when all of a sudden, Daala decides to rear her ugly, bloated head again and cause some more trouble for us." He looked over at Leia. "You think she's still upset that I trashed one of her Star Destroyers?"   
"Well, judging by what we saw up there, she's more than made up for that loss," Leia said. "So, how bad is it down here, Kyp?"   
"It's a complete mess," the young man said gravely, the humor now gone from his face. "There are Imperials _everywhere_. Stormtroopers, scout walkers, TIE fighters, you name it. They've got everything but the refresher unit." As he spoke, an explosion rang from the jungle, shaking the once-still ground. "What are we gonna do?"   
"We need to hold out for as long as possible until the fleet arrives," Leia said. "Until they come, we'll have to make do with what we have."   
"Sounds like pretty bad odds," Kyp added.   
Han said with a lopsided grin. sounds like we have a chance then.  
"Where are Luke and Callista?" Leia asked Kyp.   
"They went up into orbit with the _Shapeshifter_," Kyp said, pointing up toward the sky.   
"Let's hope they can take care of themselves," Leia prayed.   
"Chewie and me'll take the _Falcon_," Han said. "I figure the kid's gonna need some help."   
Leia's first instinct was to argue with him. But instead, she reached over and gathered him in a tight embrace. "Han, if anything happens to you, I'm gonna kill you."   
Han laughed and kissed her. "Hey, it's me." With that, he and Chewie headed back for the _Falcon_.   
"Some things never change," Kyp said with a warm smile.   
"They sure don't," Leia said in agreement, and sighed. "Show me the weapons you've got in the temple."   
Together, they ran amidst the explosions and laser fire.   
  
Imperial ground forces advanced through the jungles of Yavin 4, leaving a massive trail of devastated ground in their wake. Speeder bikes made up the front of the attack, racing ahead to check for any possible ambushers or traps.   
AT-STs followed close behind them, with TIE fighters and interceptors providing air support, although their solar panel wings made them extremely unwieldy craft in atmosphere. The TIE bombers were being held in reserve for runs on the Great Temple. They would be used to pound it into shards of stone, and then the survivors would be hunted down and wiped out.   
In the command Flying Fortress, Kelron studied the sensor displays. He would have much rather been in the more advanced and considerably better armed AT-ATs, but they would have been useless in this terrain, and the Flying Fortress gave him an excellent view ahead.   
In the distance, he could see the top of the Great Temple rising above the trees.   
Kirana Ti could see the Flying Fortresses, too, as small silvery specks in the distance, as sunlight glinted off them. She tightened her grip on her lightsaber and glanced around at Streen, Kam Solusar, Tionne, and the dozen other students standing around her on the temple roof.   
She did not have anything to say to them. She could see what they were thinking from the expressions on their faces.   
"Come on," she said loudly, knowing that reflecting on the approaching Imperial force would not do them any good. "Let us go and show them what they have taken on." She ignited her lightsaber and raised it above her head. "We are Jedi Knights. They are not going to know what will hit them."   
She turned and strode down the steps leading from the temple roof. For a few moments, the others stood motionless, and then Streen headed after her. That broke the deadlock, and the other students followed en masse, ready for battle  
  
From the _Shapeshifter_, the _Knight Hammer_ was daunting in the extreme. The closer it got to the Super Star Destroyer, the more Callista's idea began to look like extreme rashness. The SSD could blow the _Shapeshifter_ into another galaxy in a second.   
It would be an exceptionally easy way to dispose of the only Jedi Master in the galaxy, Luke reflected, but then he felt the _Shapeshifter_ shiver as a tractor beam locked onto them.   
He glanced at Callista. "They must be confident about what they're doing if they want us alive."   
Both of them reached out toward the _Knight Hammer_ with the Force, to have their suspicions confirmed. They could sense no life aboard the entire destroyer.   
"Ysalamiri," Luke said softly under his breath.   
"Hey, kid, d'ya hear me?"   
Luke did a double take on the console before him as he heard Han's crackling voice fill the cockpit. "Han? What are you doing here?"   
Han laughed on the other end of the comm. "We heard about your little party here. No fair not inviting us, Luke."   
Chewie joined in with a wild roar that caused Luke to remove the earpiece, his eardrum throbbing.   
"I'm glad you're here, buddy," Luke answered him.   
"Han?" Callista mouthed to him as she watched him,   
He nodded and heard Han's voice again. "What's the plan, kid?"   
"Why don't we let my lovely copilot here give you the briefing"   
Callista smiled and took the earpiece he handed her. "Han, it's Callista. ListenI've got a plan"   
"Hmm," Han groaned. "I've learned not to like those wordsGo on"   
"Those shields are impenetrable. There's nothing anything short of a whole armada of ships can do right now, and we don't have a lot of time—"   
"So, what do you have in mind?"   
Callista looked at Luke, and could not help but smile when she heard his thoughts: _Go ahead, it's your crazy plan, Callie_   
She gave him a wink and whispered back, _Where's your sense of adventure, flyboy? _"Han, Luke and I are gong to go in there ourselves. We've got lifesuits here—those will hold us long enough in space for us to find some sort of an opening to sneak into—"   
"Are you crazy?" Han said. "And, supposing you _do_ get in, how do you think you're going to survive the several hundred stormtroopers that'll be on your tail in a second?"   
Callista remained unfazed. _I managed to infiltrate the _Eye_ once, and this one'll be no different_"I'm not worried," she told him. "I've done it before."   
"Yeah, and remember how _that_ turned out?"   
Callista rolled her eyes. "We don't have much of a choice here, do we? We don't have the Republic fleet at our disposal at the moment, and their ships are getting ready to descend on Yavin 4. It's either this or be killed, Han."   
"Great," Han said grimly. "Suicide or get killed. What a choice."   
"If they want a fight," she said, her voice taking a lower tone, "then we'll give em a fight"   
  
Leia and Kyp found Cilghal in the hangar bay of the Great Temple, along with several dozen of the older students. Artoo-Detoo was busy herding the younger ones into the basement, to make sure they would not be in harm's way of the Imperials. Many of them were crying in fear, while others tried desperately to use their calming technique as their Master had taught them, having little success.   
After Artoo followed the children into the basement, and the door was shut and locked behind him, Cilghal went over to Kyp and Leia. "Madam Chief of State," she said with a small bow. "We are grateful for your assistance."   
"Looks like you guys have been pretty busy," Kyp said.   
"Have any of you seen Master Skywalker or Callista?" the Calamarian asked.   
"They're up in orbit," Leia said. "They plan to take out Daala's Super Star Destroyer."   
"Then may the Force be with them," Cilghal said gravely. "The Imperials are coming. Hordes of them. I can feel it."   
Leia saw that the other students were working at assembling a wall of weapons near the hangar entrance, all working with a diligence and calmness present in only the best-trained Jedi. Using large pieces of stone and scraps from disassembled starfighters, the Jedi were able to construct a rather clumsy-looking wall, and mounted a succession of laser cannons behind them. Others were armed with detonators, ready to use them when needed. "Is this everything you could find?"   
Cilghal nodded. "We searched every corner of the temple for these weapons. Most of them were left behind by the Rebels. I'm not sure if even _half_ of these still work." Despair slowly grew in her voice as she spoke.   
"It'll have to do," Leia said, her eyes quickly scanning their defenses. "How long before the Imperials reach the temple?"  
"Not long now," Cilghal said solemnly. "Five minutes, ten at the most." She glanced over at the sealed entrance. "Over a hundred of them, and more are coming."   
Kyp whistled. "Daala must really be determined to wipe us all out."   
"And she won't succeed," Leia said. "Not as long as we have the Force on our side." She raised her voice, so that everyone gathered could hear her. "Everyone behind the wall now! We need to be ready when they come!"   
The Jedi moved without question, positioning themselves behind the barrier among the blaster cannons. Leia stood close to Kyp and Cilghal, and unhooked their lightsabers. The others followed suit, and soon the entire chamber was droning with the hums of dozens of lightsabers. The sounds of battle continued to rage outside, as TIE fighters pounded the Yavin 4 jungle, accompanied by bursts of laser fire and small explosions. The Star Destroyers fired from orbit, and Leia felt a series of shudders as the turbolasers found their targets.   
For a long time, it was quiet; the Jedi waited tensely for the Imperials to arrive.   
Moments later, they came.   
  
The _Falcon_ blazed in toward the _Knight Hammer_, its quad lasers firing at the shields, despite the uselessness of the gesture. The SSD was not slow in responding. Turbolasers opened up on them, proton torpedo explosions shook her from side to side, and a squadron of TIEs emerged from the destroyer's underside and headed straight toward the _Falcon_.   
The TIEs opened up as they came within range, green laser blasts pounding the _Falcon_'s shields. They swept past, raking the ship with laser fire, and then turned for another strafing run, only to break off and veer away as one blew up spectacularly.   
"Hey, you didn't wait for us to join in the festivities?" a familiar voice drawled from the comm as X-wings swept past the _Falcon_.   
Han grinned. Trust Wedge and the Rogues to show up at the right moment. "How'd you get here?" he asked.   
"Lando found out where you'd gone so hurriedly, and told us, so here we are."   
"Why is it always so hard to keep a battle under wraps?" Han sighed. "Well, let's do some damage, shall we?" He put the _Falcon_ into a tight turn to blow a TIE out of space.   
  
Daala watched on her display as the _Shapeshifter_ was drawn closer to the Super Star Destroyer, then turned to the figure standing behind her.   
"Are you prepared?" she asked.   
The Sith Witch nodded absently. Exceptionally gifted in the Force, and having been trained by a Sith Lord as a child, Daala had encountered this woman shortly after having taken command of the Imperial fleet. She had somehow known of Daala's execution of the chauvinistic warlords, and offered her services to the admiral, and in return was offered a high position in the ranks of the Empire. It had been her idea to construct the assassin droid, using the features of Skywalker's lover. Daala did not know the Witch's true motivations for joining her, but she had a distinct feeling that the only reason she did so was for a chance to engage the Jedi in combat.   
And the first one she intended on taking on was Skywalker.   
The Sith Witch was truly a fearsome being to look at. Her red hair hung down in braids over her head and face. Her eyes were hard and merciless. She had rarely spoken to anyone, even Daala. Daala knew nothing about the woman—not her age, her previous whereabouts, or even her name—but she knew that this was not a person to be trifled with. She almost felt a twinge of sympathy for Skywalker.   
The ysalamiri had been used to prevent Skywalker and the Jedi from detecting her. The Sith Witch herself was unaffected by the Force bubble generated by the furry creatures—her Master had taken her through the long and grueling training of overcoming an ysalamiri's Force-negating abilities. It would give her a distinct advantage over the arriving Jedi, one that she planned to use to the fullest.   
"The woman will be interesting prey," she said in a voice that sent shivers down Daala's spine. She curved her mouth in a gesture that, though it was a smile of anticipation, was indistinguishable from a grimace. She grasped her lightsaber firmly, and then stalked from the bridge.   
Daala smiled in anticipation as she watched the Sith Witch leave. "The HRD was just a warm-up for Skywalker and his woman, compared to her," she said softly under her breath.   
  
"Almost got it"   
Callista struggled into the tight lifesuit, which seemed to be made for a Jawa—certainly they must not have had a tall girl like her in mind when they had designed it.   
"You all right in there, Callie?" Luke said, watching her.   
She saw a glint of amusement twinkle in his blue eyes, and she gave him a playful smirk. "Not a word out of you," she said. She tugged one last time at the zipper and exhaled. "Well, that was a blow to my self-esteem. I guess it's showtime, then."   
"Now or never," he said, reaching out his hand for hers to take.   
"Hey, Luke!"   
Callista heard the voice through the comm as well, and she recognized it as that of Luke's friend, Wedge Antilles.   
"Yeah, Wedge?"   
"We're coming up on the perimeterAll my men are going to surround this thing; you two sure you still want to go through with this?"   
Callista nodded at Luke. _We've got to try,_ she whispered to him through the Force. _There are not enough of them out there—we've got to make this thing go down from the inside_   
She saw a flash of protectiveness in his eyes again—for a moment, she thought that he would give in to Wedge and call off their plan. Then he finally nodded back at her.   
"We're still going to do it, Wedge. We've got to try and do what we can from inside that ship"   
Wedge sighed on the other end of the comm and was silent for a few tense seconds. "I hope you know what you're doing," he said at last.   
Luke looked at Callista and smiled. "Me, too."   
Callista tossed Luke his helmet, and kissed him before clamping hers into place, trying hard not to let her fear show on her face. "Be careful," she said.   
Luke smiled, and gestured toward the hatch. "After you."   
Callista winked at him, seated herself in front of the airlock hatch, and launched.   
Almost immediately, she felt a horrible lurch in her stomach as she was shot out of the _Shapeshifter_'s airlock. The walls around her became a blurry, incoherent mass as she moved with incredible speed, and finally ejected out into the vastness of space. She heard a _swoosh_ of released air as Luke followed after her.   
An overwhelming panic trembled through Callista's body, and she began to flap her arms wildly as she floated weightlessly in the black canopy of stars, afraid that she would soon start to fall, and be unable to stop herself. She felt Luke's mind reach out to hers, soothing her raging thoughts, clearing her mind. She looked over at him, unable to see his face through the black visor, and offered him a grateful smile as they plummeted toward the enormous Super Star Destroyer. Wedge's squadron of X-wings arrowed after them, protectively flanking the two Jedi.   
A TIE fighter flew past them, narrowly missing Luke's left leg. The screech of its Twin Ion Engines was deafening, and Callista felt her eardrums almost pop. The urge to vomit in her helmet was so great that she almost succumbed, and yet she somehow managed to fight it back. Stars danced all around her as she drifted through space, barely able to control her movement. _So, this is what space feels like_   
Seconds later, they struck something hard and metallic, and when Callista regained her vision, she saw that they had hit the hull of the _Knight Hammer_. The gravity suits kept their feet attached to the ship, so they would not be hurled back out into space.   
Callista saw Wedge's X-wing hover next to them, close enough for her to see his face. Luke gave Wedge a thumbs-up, and Wedge saluted back.   
Slowly, but carefully, they began crawling over the hull of the _Knight Hammer_, a task complicated by the magnetized spacesuits they wore. TIE fighters kept launching, and space around the leviathan was one roiling dogfight between the Rogues, the _Falcon_, and TIEs, but none of the Imperial pilots noticed the two Jedi clinging to the hull.   
"Whose crazy idea was this?" Luke asked dryly as they struggled toward an airlock on the hull. "Isn't there an easier way of doing this?"   
"Well, if you think knocking on Daala's front door is a better way to get inside this tin can, then by all means, feel free todo so," Callista replied in an equally dry voice, causing Luke to grin sheepishly.   
They finally reached an airlock, and Callista set to work opening it. She struggled with the controls, cursing her awkward spacesuit, careful not to tear it on the sharp durasteel. Should her suit suffer even the smallest tear, she would be dead within seconds. She felt sweat prickle on her eyebrows as she worked on the locked hatch, feeling an all-too-familiar sense of déjà vu. This was far too much like her breaking into the _Eye of Palpatine_   
She finally managed to open the outer door. The two of them clambered inside at the same time, and Luke resealed the hatch. Callista opened the inner doors, hearing the _whoosh_ as air flooded into the chamber, then yanked off her helmet to take breaths of fresh, unprocessed air and wipe the sweat from her forehead. The two of them swiftly removed their spacesuits, and then headed down a corridor that led toward the main docking bay.   
This section of the _Knight Hammer_ seemed deserted, and Callista's unease grew steadily, compounded by the fact that the ysalamiri were blocking her from using the Force.   
The two of them entered a large, dimly lit room, and stopped. There were three or four doors at the far end of the room, all leading in different directions, and Callista hesitated, unsure of which to take.   
"Perhaps we should split up?" Callista suggested.   
Luke shook his head. "I think that's what they want. We should stay together."   
"Yes, _do_, Jedi," a voice hissed from behind them. "It will be more interesting."   
Luke and Callista spun around to see a monster standing in the doorway they had just come from.   
She was tall, with grayish, leathery skin and long red ropes of hair that fell to her demonic eyes. It was clear to them that she was not there to give them the grand tour. Luke's face was contorted with utter revulsion, while Callista's eyes widened in recognition and horror. The Sith Witch, she realized, as she stared into the creature's disgusting face, now worn and wrinkled with age, but she would recognize that face anywhere. She had been a servant of Palpatine's, a figure always shrouded in mystery and death. Callista had only seen a glimpse of her, just after she had finished her training, during a fierce battle that had cost the lives of many promising Jedi Knights. But she thought she had been killed—   
Luke and Callista simultaneously ignited their lightsabers, the green and yellow blades casting a glow in the dimly lit room, and split up, approaching the woman from both sides. They did not bother trying to reason with her. It was obvious that the woman had only one intention in mind.   
In response, she moved toward Callista, staring straight into her eyes as Callista adopted a defensive stance. Callista hesitated as the Sith Witch came into striking range of her lightsaber, bemused by the unharmful approach, and the Sith Witch immediately lunged forward.   
Her attack was the quickest Callista had ever seen. With a smooth, practiced motion, her lightsaber ignited and crashed into Callista's with her full weight behind it.   
The impact knocked Callista back a few steps, and the Sith Witch again came forward, extending her arm as if to punch Callista. Only battle experience saved Callista. She jerked aside, seeing the blur of motion as something dropped out of the Sith Witch's sleeve into her hand, and the Witch struck at Callista with something that Callista could only call a lightdagger.   
She leaped back to open some space between them, and the Sith Witch snarled at losing the chance of a quick kill.   
She whipped around to face Luke, who was approaching, and countered his blow. The two of them stood staring at each other across their blades for a few moments, and then the Sith Witch spun away as Callista came back into the fight.   



	4. The Wedding

Forever Home: A Luke and Callista Story

Part 4

The Falcon blew another TIE into space dust, and Han took the brief respite to speak to Wedge.

"Wedge, if we stay out here much longer, they're going to overwhelm us," he said.

"I'm not going to argue with that," Wedge said, concentrating on the TIE he was chasing. Not even the Rogues could handle the amount of TIEs they were fighting. "What do you suggest?"

"For a start, we could try and draw the fleet away from Yavin," Han said. "That should give the others some breathing space and give our fleet time to get here." He turned to Chewie, and the Wookiee arfed in confirmation that the signal had been sent.

"Okay, here we go," Han said, turning the Falcon toward the closest perimeter of the battlefield.

"Right with you, Falcon," Wedge acknowledged, as the Rogues disengaged.

The roar of the approaching speeder bike grew louder, and Kirana Ti, holding her lightsaber ignited and prepared, tensed in readiness.

She stepped out from behind the tree she was concealed behind and hurled her lightsaber at the bike. The energy blade sliced through the control vanes, sending it out of control and straight into a large tree.

"That's one!" she shouted to Kam Solusar.

Luke and Callista fought as one, their lightsabers crashing against the Sith Witch's blood-red blade. The hiss of their swords echoed in the corridor, the breathing of the three warriors the only other accompanying sound. They had slowly taken their fight down one of the deserted hallways, which seemed to be leading toward the Knight Hammer's docking bay. Already, Callista could see the open entrance that led into the vast chamber.

Callista narrowly dodged an attack that tore through the wall where she had been standing earlier. No sooner had she stepped away did the other woman strike again. With lightning-fast reflexes, Callista performed a flip over the Witch's back and landed right behind her. She spun around just in time to deflect another jab.

"Luke!" she said over the fighting. "Get the detonators ready! I'll hold her off!" She struck with her own blade, slicing off the Sith Witch's black cape. As it floated down, Callista reached over and picked it up, and dumped it over the Sith Witch's head. It temporarily ruined her focus, and as the woman struggled to throw the cloak off, Callista dropped her with a swift kick to the head.

Luke gave her a quick nod. "Good luck!" Then he ran off toward the empty TIE chamber, beginning the second phase of their mission to disable the Knight Hammer.

That left Callista alone with the Sith Witch.

The woman had scrambled out from under the dark cloak, and she stood, wiping a trickle of blood from her mouth. "Not bad," she hissed. "This is going to be very interesting."

Callista stepped closer, her lightsaber held in front of her. "Oh, trust me, it will."

Luke headed toward the rear bay of the hangar, moving with the stealth only a Jedi could possess. His eyes quickly searched the area; all of the TIE fighters and interceptors had already been dispatched to battle the Rogues. The bombers, however, remained unattended to, obviously until it was ready to bombard the Great Temple.

Perfect.

The TIE bombers were fully loaded with explosives. When the detonators would go off, the bombs from the TIEs would help feed into the explosion, which would be just enough to cripple the Knight Hammer beyond repair, or at the very least severely damage it.

Luke switched off his saber and reattached it to his belt, and climbed atop the nearest bomber, reaching into his robe to take out a small bag of Talesian A-700 grenades. Made with enough power to lay waste to an entire building-the Knight Hammer itself equaled to about ten or twelve Coruscant skyscrapers-three or four of them would hopefully be enough to weaken the Super Star Destroyer.

Unlike the original Talesian versions, A-700s were programmed with a five-minute timer, hopefully giving Luke and Callista just enough time to escape before they went off.

As he opened the bomber's hatch and began arming the first detonator, a voice from behind shouted, "Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

Luke turned, startled, to see several stormtroopers standing before him, blasters drawn.

No sooner had his eyes laid upon the white-armored soldiers did Luke quickly hid the detonators, silently cursing the fact that he had left his lightsaber on his belt. At any other time, the stormtroopers would have been a piece of ryshcate for him to handle, but with the ysalamiri cutting him off from the Force, he felt acutely vulnerable.

He moved slowly away from the detonators he had left on the hull. The stormtroopers did not seem aware that they were there, and he quickly reached out and pressed the activation switch on the one he had been working on earlier before the troopers had arrived. He would be blown to atoms if his gambit failed, but he was gambling that the five-minute delay set on the detonators would give the stormtroopers enough time to take him to a detention cell.

One of the stormtroopers gestured. "Give us that lightsaber now, or we'll fry you hotter than a sun." He glanced at the stormtrooper to his right. "Daala did say dead or alive, didn't she?" she asked under his breath.

"Shaddup, Grotto!" the other hissed back.

Luke slowly detached the lightsaber from his belt and threw it down to the deck, then climbed down.

The stormtroopers cuffed him and led him away, one retrieving his lightsaber, and Luke thanked the Force for the inherent stupidity of stormtroopers. They should have checked the bomber for explosives if they had been doing their job properly.

Callista and the Witch fought on, the crash and hum of their lightsabers filling the corridor and throwing weird shadows on the walls. Bit by bit, though, the Witch began to push Callista back. Callista had not fully recovered from the battle with the HRD, and the Witch had plainly had more recent battle practice than her. The strain of blocking the attacks soon began to tell as she adopted an increasingly defensive stance.

Seeing that she was gaining the upper hand, the Witch attacked relentlessly.

Callista was pushed back to the wall under a rain of blows. Her lightsaber was knocked from her hand and sent spinning across the hall.

With her opponent disarmed, the Sith Witch swung her blade. Callista caught the weapon by its hilt, keeping a firm grip on it with both hands. She tried wrenching it from the Witch, but she was equally as strong, and pulled back on the weapon with surprising strength. Callista was yanked forth, and the moment she lost her balance, the Sith Witch pushed back, slamming her opponent against the wall. The blade was now inches away from piercing Callista's chest.

Callista felt cold sweat sliding down her face as she fought to knock the blade away, as the Witch slowly but steadily pushed it closer and closer toward her. She could almost feel the blade's cold heat brushing against her chest. She could feel the ysalamiri's Force bubble weighing her down even more than ever, threatening to cause her to lose her focus, and pay for it with her life--

Callista finally let out a frustrated scream, and pushed the lightsaber away from her. The blade missed its target, but just barely. The Sith Witch, still managing to make the most out of Callista's unexpected attack, pulled down on the lightsaber, of which Callista still had a good grip on the handle. Callista was pulled forth into a flip, landing hard on her back.

The Sith Witch smiled in triumph, bearing her lightsaber in for the killing blow.

"Skywalker is next after you," she hissed gleefully.

Luke will die.

"No!" Callista screamed. She caught the incoming blow by the hilt again, stopping its quick descent toward her head. With her other hand, she reached up and snatched the Sith Witch's fingers gripping the weapon. She intertwined her fingers around the other's, and bent them back hard enough to crack her knuckles.

The Sith Witch grunted in unexpected pain, and dropped the blade. It clattered next to Callista, shutting itself off. Callista rose to one knee, grabbing the other woman by the arm, and threw her down, causing her to roll further down the hallway.

As the Witch scrambled to her feet, Callista got up and retrieved her lightsaber, activating it and bringing it to rear in one fluid motion.

The two women clashed once again, their blades striking each other over and over again. Callista parried a blow aimed at her shoulder, and swung a slash toward the Sith's legs. The woman saw it coming and leaped over the topaz blade, laughing as she did so.

As the minutes wore on, they slowly took their fight down the hallway, and eventually ended up within the Knight Hammer's main docking bay. The echo of their clashing sabers sounded louder than ever, amplified across the chamber a hundred times over, accompanied by the battle that raged outside the SSD. They continued to battle, slashing, jabbing, swinging, doing everything possible that came to mind in attempts to overcome the other.

Callista waited until she saw an opening, which came seconds later. With a swift move that would have made her Master proud, Callista kicked the lightsaber out of the Sith Witch's hands. The woman was momentarily surprised, but quickly regained her composure and threw a pair of powerful kicks, both of which Callista blocked with her arm. The two circled each other, and the Witch aimed a blow for her opponent's head.

Callista was able to duck beneath the swing, and attacked with her lightsaber, hoping to lop the other's head off. The Sith Witch reacted with admirable speed, sidestepping and grabbing Callista's arm in mid-swing. She flipped the Jedi over onto a large crate. It splintered under Callista's weight, spilling blaster cartridges onto the floor.

Callista's entire back went numb, and she let out a pained groan as she lay under the pile of cartridges. Her vision almost blackened, and it was only through her will to continue fighting that she did not lose consciousness. For a few precious seconds, she could not move as the Sith Witch reached down for her.

Callista brought both legs up, grunting as the numbness began to wear off, revealing a layer of pain beneath it as it rushed down her spine, and kicked them into the Sith Witch's face. She heard the woman's nose crack, and she fell back to the floor, stunned. That gave Callista just enough time to roll to her feet, the pain still fresh in her back. If she managed to live through this fight, she would be horribly bruised come morning.

The Sith was already up, and heading in Callista's direction. Callista moved fast, delivering a powerful roundhouse kick that knocked the woman into a pile of crates.

Callista, a feral grin spreading across her face, charged toward the injured Sith, ready to put an end to this fight.

Like a crash of thunder from the sky, the stormtrooper overran the Great Temple, a deadly mass of white armor and weaponry as they charged from the jungle and descended upon the Praxeum. Within seconds, the hangar bay doors blasted open, and the stormtroopers poured in, opening fire.

Almost immediately, the hidden Jedi responded in kind. Leia armed her cannon and fired back at the crowd of Imperials, hitting one clean in the chest, causing him to evaporate in a wash of smoke and fire. She ducked as a hail of laser bolts tore through the air and struck the barricade that shielded her body. She took down another trooper with a well-placed shot that blew his head completely apart.

Beside her, Kyp manned the other cannon. He cursed as one bolt nearly singed his dark black hair, and ducked beneath the meager shelter. "There's got to be at least a hundred of them out there!"

"Good, that means there's a hundred to kill!" Leia shouted back over the blaster fire, and shot back at the invading enemy. Having spent most of her life armed with a blaster, she had flawless precision and accuracy, almost as good as her husband's. With each shot she squeezed from the trigger, she cut down another stormtrooper. Body after body fell, until Leia finally had to reload.

The stormtroopers pushed forth relentlessly, their weapons speaking with deadly red laser fire. Most of the Jedi were able to deflect the incoming missiles with the Force or their lightsabers, but some of them were struck down, either wounded or dead. They were doing well for now, but Leia knew that they could not hold out like this forever.

They just had to keep on fighting.

Cilghal recoiled as one of the stormtroopers leaped onto the scaffolding. With one sweep of her lightsaber, she cleaved his left foot off. The man screamed in agony and fell off the barricade, clutching at his cauterized stump. Two others aimed their weapons directly at her and fired, but Kyp reacted fast, coming to his friend's aid. Reaching out with his mind, he snatched the two bolts from the air, forced them into a complete 360-degree turn, and straight into the chests of their owners, both of whom were knocked down the ground.

There was a sudden rumble, and Kyp shouted, "Incoming!" as the stone wall caved in, showering debris and dust in the air, pelting Jedi and stormtroopers alike. When the haze had settled, Leia looked up to see an AT- ST emerging from the dusty fog, its weapons trained on the barricade.

"Everybody move!" Leia screamed, as the scout walker opened fire. Several of the students shrieked as they were hit, the powerful bolts searing through their flesh. Others were knocked down by the sheer magnitude of the salvo, while others managed to barely get away in time.

Leia bit her lower lip as she retreated, taking out two more stormtroopers with her blaster. She took refuge behind the remains of an ancient X-wing fighter, the AT-ST now at least twenty or thirty meters away. It continued firing, targeting mercilessly at the fleeing Jedi.

Leia leaped atop the X-wing, her eyes focusing intently on her blaster cannon. She was not nearly as well trained in the Force as her brother, or even Kyp and Cilghal, for that matter, but she was nevertheless powerful, and more than capable of manipulating other objects. She closed her eyes and concentrated, her mind probing the unmanned weapon.

Come on, come on.

The cannon's nozzle suddenly began to move, as if suddenly awarded a life of its own. As the AT-ST continued hammering at the Jedi, the cannon, guided by Leia's mind, targeted the walker's right leg.

And fired.

The Imperials operating the AT-STs never knew what hit them. The laser bolt sliced through the walker's jointed leg, creating a brilliant explosion of melted circuits and wires. Crippled, the AT-ST fell helplessly to the ground and flowered into a blinding white fireball, taking out even more stormtroopers who had been unable to escape the reaching flames.

An eruption of cheers sounded from the Jedi, and Leia raised her blaster into the air. Let's finish this.

The Jedi sprung from their hiding places and descended upon the unprepared Imperials.

Luke stood in the turbocar on his way to the detention area, counting down to the point where he expected the detonators to go off and trigger the munitions in the TIE bombers.

He counted well past five minutes, and began to wonder if he had actually armed the detonator.

The turbocar began to slow down, and one of the stormtroopers jabbed him in the ribs with his blaster rifle. "Almost there, Jedi scum."

At that moment, back in the hangar bay, the detonator went off. The TIE bomber immediately became a cloud of expanding metal. The explosion spread to the other bombers in the hangar in increasing sequence. The end result was a hole big enough to fly a Corellian corvette through torn in the hull of the Knight Hammer.

Even from the detention area, Luke felt the ship rock.

And he felt something far more significant.

The explosion had taken many of the ysalamiri with it. He smiled as the Force surged through him once again. The cuffs opened and clattered to the floor, and his lightsaber leaped to his hand as he reached out for it.

Then there was only the green blade and the crackle of laser fire in the small turbocar.

The Sith Witch, enraged, hauled herself up as Callista approached. Her eyes glittered menacingly as she raised her lightsaber and struck, driving Callista's blade aside. With a complete spin, the blade came around again for a killing blow before Callista could recover.

At that instant, the Knight Hammer shook from bow to stern, and the rear area of the hangar bay was enveloped in a white flash of heat and fire. At the same moment, Callista tried to avoid the descending blade, and was completely knocked off her feet.

Even those two factors did not help, though. The Witch was thrown off balance as well, but her lightsaber still sliced through Callista's arm almost deep enough to reach the bone.

Callista screamed, the pain searing through her arm almost unbearable. She shielded her eyes from the harsh light that glared in the chamber, and realized that Luke's mission had been accomplished. The plan had worked! As the light began to dim, Callista could see a gigantic hole burned through the wall of the docking bay, providing a spectacular view of the battle raging outside the ship. Almost immediately, the emergency force fields were established, preventing anything from getting sucked out into space-including Callista and the Sith Witch. Hopefully, that would be enough to cripple the Knight Hammer, and give the Republic fleet enough time to arrive.

Callista hoped that Luke had gotten away in time, but she had little time to think about that. She rose to her feet, the pain tremendous, and yet she still retained enough focus to sense the Force flowing through her again. It filled her with renewed energy, and she smiled a feral smile. She rolled away and scrambled to her feet, ignoring the pain.

The Sith Witch was up again as well, and stalked toward her, ready to continue the fight. Callista braced herself, already considering the best way to take her opponent down, and fast. Her options were slowly running down, and she was not sure how much longer she could fight for.

Even as she looked into the cold, hard eyes of her opponent, a string of long-forgotten memories flooded back to her, as if the explosion had somehow reawakened them from their dormancy in her mind. She could suddenly remember her days as a trainee, still learning hand-to-hand combat. She and a friend had practiced aeriel duels, stretching their minds as well as their bodies. Callista could suddenly envision it all as if it had happened a week ago.

She wished she could remember his name.

She took a running leap and lifted herself into the air, above the Witch. Surprised wiped across her opponent's face, but after a moment's recovery, she was right up there with her.

Callista kicked her, and with her lack of physical purchase, the other woman sailed across the TIE chamber, slowing her fight in a series of slow flips. The Witch held out her arms to steady herself, then arrowed back to Callista, headfirst, intending to ram her in the chest.

Callista performed an aeriel flip herself, out of the Witch's path. As her legs came over her head, she struck one of them against the Witch's back, sending her into a wall. The Witch cried out and landed on the floor with a thud.

Callista lowered herself for a touch-and-go, and when she left the floor again, the Witch was right behind her. Callista rotated and faced the incoming Sith. Putting her energy into a thrust, she charged her.

They collided somewhere between the two of them, over a TIE bomber that continued to be consumed by orange fingers of flames, a jumble of arms and legs that kicked, punched, held, broke, tore.

One.The routine came back to Callista easily, the old moves, numbered for their exercises. Five! Two! Three! Seven!

She saw his face clearly, his green eyes and mussed blond hair, handsome and smiling. His name...his name...

Focus!

Callista levitated higher, unbound by the laws of mortals. She flipped over the Witch's head, soaring over her. She grabbed the woman's ankle and plummeted to the hard floor, pulling herself up just before they hit.

The Witch, of course, was not so lucky. She hit the floor and bounced at least once, maybe twice; Callista was unsure.

Energy pulsed through her body from the aerodynamics, alive and full of power. She laughed and leaped to the floor.

It was a big mistake.

Wedge had just finished shooting down another TIE when an explosion burst from the Knight Hammer's docking bay, spreading deeper and deeper into the ship. A succession of white-hot flames engulfed the black hull, rendering the Super Star Destroyer crippled and drifting in space.

Wedge stared, awestruck, and realized what had happened. "They did it!" he shouted. "Luke and Callista did it!"

Cheers erupted from the Rogues and the Millennium Falcon, which was further heightened when the entire Republic fleet emerged at that moment from hyperspace. The Imperial fleet was quickly thrown into a panic as the Mon Calamari cruisers, corvettes, and escort frigates opened fire on the Star Destroyers. Hordes of X-wings, Y-wings, B-wings, and A-wings soared from the starships, overwhelming the TIEs.

Admiral Ackbar's harsh, guttural voice echoed through the speakers of each starfighter. "Excellent job, Rogues. Now, it's time to finish the job."

Wedge nodded and laughed with joy as he led Rogue Squadron toward the weakened Knight Hammer.

The Witch pounced on Callista like a rabid cat, screeching in fury. The two went down against the floor, the Witch on top. They rolled under one of the few TIE bombers that had not been touched by the explosion, and the Witch latched her fingers around Callista's throat.

"It's too bad you won't be around to watch your boyfriend die when I get my hands on him," she cackled.

Callista screamed, focusing all her rage, pain, and fear on the Sith Witch's fingers. Finally, with a loud shriek, she pulled the woman's hand away from her throat. Breathing in several grateful breaths of air, Callista slammed her opponent's head against the bomber's hull, trying to knock her silly. It worked, and the Witch rolled off of her, groaning in pain.

Callista and the Sith Witch scrambled quickly out from under the TIE bomber. They stood and faced each other, their faces masks of blood.

The Sith Witch wiped blood from her nose and looked at Callista grimly.

Dazed from the battle, Callista failed to react in time as the Witch pointed her hand at her, unleashing a storm of Force lightning at her. Callista was hurled back into the wall with staggering force.

More lightning poured from her hands, hitting her squarely in the chest. Callista screamed as she was thrown back against the wall again, the air leaving her body in a rush. Her breathing became labored as she struggled to get up.

The Witch sneered down at her, looking every bit as powerful and terrifying as she had been thirty years ago. "Rest in peace, Jedi."

She fired several more bolts, burning through Callista's chest and touching her heart. Callista's limbs jerked out of control, and she flopped to the floor like a fish caught on land, relearning how to breathe. Blackness tore at her vision as the Witch continued the attack, hammering her over and over again with Force lightning. Distinctly, she could hear her heartbeat throbbing in her ears, could hear it begin to grow faint, to slow down, until it eventually reached the point of stopping.

The last thing Callista did was scream for Luke, and she fell into blackness.

Luke heard Callista's scream tear through the fabric of the Force, then fall silent and disappear.

"Callista." he said as her presence faded. He leaped aside as the turbocar fired another volley at him. "No!"

He threw his lightsaber toward the driver, slicing the trooper in half. Without a pilot to navigate the vehicle, the turbocar flailed through the air and crashed into the wall, exploding in a hail of debris, flames, and burnt flesh.

With the enemy taken care off, Luke ran off to help Callista.

He sprinted toward the hangar, where he had left Callista with the Sith Witch, praying to all the gods of the galaxy, the Force, and the stars that he wasn't too late. He could feel Callista's life slowly dwindling away, could feel her pain as if it were his own, could taste her fear of dying. Her heartbeat was weakening by the second, threatening to completely stop-

Luke rounded a corner and skidded to a halt-and barely missed the blue lightning aimed at his chest.

"Hello, Skywalker!" the Witch cried in a disgustingly cheerful voice. "Time for you to join your sweetheart!"

Luke gritted his teeth. He charged at the Witch with his lightsaber. She met him halfway, her ruby-red lightsaber crossing his own with such force that sparks flew.

"She's dead, Jedi. None of your parlor tricks can save her now." She struck at his head, and he parried quickly.

He matched her, blow for blow, calling on the Force with every move he made. She swung at his chest, but he leaped high into the air, completing a flip that put him in the perfect position to plant his feet on her chest, which he did, and knocked her to the floor. The air escaped her lungs, and she lay on the floor, gasping.

"You-can't win, Jedi. Just let me kill you now and end the pain."

He shook his head. "No. Not after what you did to Callista."

She forced herself to her feet, and threw her fist into his nose. "Suit yourself."

As he reeled from the blow, the Witch called her lightsaber to her hand. Luke barely had time to parry, but he did, and then whipped his lightsaber around to strike her at the neck. She blocked it again.

"Do you want to know how she died, Skywalker? It was pitiful, really. She was pleading for her life, on her knees! What a coward, am I right?"

Anger swelled in Luke. "Shut up!" He struck again, feeding off his own anger.

Anger, fear, aggression.

He stepped back. The dark side would not save Callista. It would not save his friends, or his students. He took a deep breath, quieting his anger.

Seeing his hesitation, the Witch lunged. Luke quickly parried, no longer acting out of anger. He called upon the Force and threw the woman into the far wall. She hit with tremendous force and slid to the floor. Luke called her dead weapon to his hands.

Unarmed, she pushed herself to her feet and threw herself at him.

Reflexively, Luke whipped out both blades, live and humming, and held them out in front of him. They slid through her skin, burning and charring the flesh. The dying Witch managed one last scream before falling limply on the floor, finally dead.

Luke pulled his blade free of the growing chasm in her chest. He did not even utter a word of conquest, but continued his sprint toward the hangar bay.

Time was running out.

But by that time, it may have been gone.

Wedge's X-wing hurtled over the surface of the Knight Hammer, which was spewing atmosphere and flames from the massive breaches in its hull. Behind him, the rest of the Rogues and two full squadrons of B-wings came on, pouring laser fire, ion cannon shots, and proton torpedoes into the hull. Further back, the Galactic Voyager was pouring turbolaser shots into the rapidly weakening bow shields.

"Keep the pressure on, Rogues!" Wedge spoke through gritted teeth, swerving to the left as a TIE interceptor approached, its cannons speaking with fiery green light. "We take Daala out, the rest will go down with her in minutes!"

"Copy, Rogue leader!" the Rogues responded in unison, as their fighters proceeded to wipe out the remaining TIEs that soared protectively around their dying flagship, giving the rest of the fleet the opportunity to focus their firepower on the Knight Hammer.

Slowly, but surely, the Imperials were being trapped.

Daala stared wide-eyed into the battle, which was now firmly swinging the way of the New Republic.

Two Corellian gunships and a Nebulon-B escort frigate cruised over the hull of the Super Star Destroyer, heading directly for the command tower.

"Full shields now!" Daala screamed, realizing what they were intending.

Pellaeon took one last look at the situation, and then slipped surreptitiously off the bridge. Far better to live-and perhaps fight again, he reasoned. Daala could die here if she wanted.

At that moment, the bridge rocked violently.

"What was that?" Daala screamed down into the crewpits.

"We've lost both bridge shield generators, Admiral!" one of the crew shouted back.

Daala turned back to the viewport to see the Nebulon-B escort frigate reach point-blank range to the bridge. It vanished in a blue glow as it fired multiple proton torpedoes at the unshielded command tower.

There was nothing for Daala to do but watch her death approaching.

Wedge whistled as, one by one, the torpedoes took the Knight Hammer's command tower apart. It became a ball of expanding metal and flame.

The sight finally broke Imperial morale. Several ships had already fled into hyperspace, considering the battle lost, but now most of the remaining ships fled or surrendered.

The Knight Hammer was still capable of damage, but with the bridge destroyed, there was no chance of organized resistance. Republic fighters began systematically knocking out the turbolaser batteries that were still firing.

Kam Solusar, leading the fight against the Imperial ground forces, heard the distinctive rumble of a Flying Fortress. The huge vehicle drifted into view overhead as he stood with Streen and a couple of the students.

"There it is," one of the students pointed, his eyes widened with barely-controlled fear.

"When do we attack?" the second, a young female Twi'lek no older than seventeen with light blue skin, asked.

"When I give the signal," Kam explained solemnly, not intimidated in the least by the sight of the massive juggernaut. He had seen far worse in his days as an Imperial agent; this was a mere child's toy in comparison. "Remember, just do what we did before. Let the Force guide your actions."

"We won't fail, Kam," the third, and oldest, student said bravely.

Kam nodded. "Then be ready."

Overhead, a grim-faced Kelron studied the displays. The Jedi were putting up a much stronger resistance than he had anticipated, with nearly half of his forces destroyed, and the battle in space was going equally badly.

It had been a mere thirty seconds ago when Kelron had received the news that the Knight Hammer had been critically damaged, and would be destroyed from the combined might of the Republic warships within moments. Which meant that in less than five minutes, the Empire would once again be without a great leader.

Kelron felt a tightness in his throat, but chose not to let Daala's inevitable death interfere with his mission. He would set out to do what he had been ordered to do-wipe out the Jedi.

A chance to do so presented itself before him, as the vehicle's sensors picked up five life-signs ten or twelve meters straight ahead. Kelron looked up to see five Jedi Knights staring defiantly up at him from below. All seemed to be unarmed.

Kelron sneered as he began arming the vehicle's cannons. In another ten seconds, the five Jedi would be little more than black cinders.

Kam looked up and nodded to Streen.

The Jedi Knight raised his arms, and immediately began to feel his hair whip about as the wind picked up. He glanced at the students, and all three ignited their lightsabers and focused on the large repulsorlift cells on the underside of the Flying Fortress.

Drawing their arms back, all three hurled their lightsabers at the repulsorlifts and hit them. The Flying Fortress instantly fell like a stone, but the wind, now at hurricane force, slammed head-on into the Flying Fortress, which was hurled aside like a leaf.

On board, Kelron was hurled off his feet and slammed into a console. His head crashed into it, and he lost consciousness, just as a bright wave of flames washed over him, engulfing him in a burning blanket of agony.

And then nothing.

Kam and the others watched as the Flying Fortress slammed into trees and erupted in a massive fireball that came straight on toward them. He reacted immediately, diving for the ground, and seeing one of the students yank Streen down as the fireball passed overhead. For a few seconds, there was an agonizing heat and sudden vacuum as the fireball burned up oxygen, and then it was gone.

Kam leaped up, tearing his burning cloak off, and glanced around at Streen and the students to see if they were okay, then turned to look at the burning remains of the Flying Fortress.

"I think that must have really wrecked their day," he said with a grin.

Luke finally rushed into the hangar bay and saw Callista, every one of his preconceived fears confirmed. She was lying on the floor, unconscious, bluish-black bruises and second-degree burns disfiguring her beautiful face. Her arm seemed to be badly burned, as if the Witch's lightsaber had cut her. As he neared her body, he saw that she was still breathing--if just barely.

Luke cradled her fragile form in his arms, trying to fight back the encroaching tears in his eyes. "Callista." he whispered, stroking her pale cheek. "No."

Callie, can you hear me? Please answer me.

Don't die on me now.

He heard shouting from behind, and turned to see stormtroopers entering the hangar. Without wasting any time, he slid his arms underneath her limp knees and shoulders and carried her to the Shapeshifter, which had made its way into the docking bay via tractor beam.

The stormtroopers spotted them and opened fire. Blaster bolts sizzled the air around him and Callista as he entered the ship and closed the ramp behind him.

He placed Callista gingerly on a cot in the ship's cabin and headed for the cockpit. He could hear Wedge's voice crackling through the comm. "...about to explode any minute now. You and Callista need to get the hell out of here!"

Strapping himself in, Luke grabbed the comm and replied, "Copy that, Wedge, loud and clear. We're outta here."

"Thanks, Luke! We owe you guys big time for this one. How'd everything go?"

"Fine, Wedge," Luke lied, though he knew Wedge could tell something was wrong. He looked back toward the cabin, silently whispering another prayer for Callista to make it. "Everything went just fine."

He cut the transmission and fired up the ship's engines.

The stormtroopers continued shooting as the Shapeshifter lifted off its repulsorjets and soared out the hangar door, leaving the doomed Knight Hammer behind.

In the bowels of the Great Temple, the fierce battle between the encroaching Imperials and the Jedi reached its climax. The hangar was alive with the crisscross of laser fire and lightsabers, with bodies piling up on both sides, mostly stormtroopers. Leia led the brunt of the battle, alternating between her lightsaber and her blaster, flanked by Kyp and Cilghal.

A stormtrooper foolish enough to attempt an ambush attacked Leia from the right, a vibroblades clutched in his gauntleted hand. He obviously had never entangled with a Jedi Knight before, if he thought he could take one by surprise. Leia turned and slapped the arm carrying the blade away with her free hand, and buried her lightsaber deep into the man's stomach. A marred gurgle found its way past the trooper's hidden mouth, and he sank to the ground, twitched once, and died.

Leia moved on past the dead trooper, kicking another in the face as he began aiming his blaster at her. Even with the helmet on, the blow hurt, and he was propelled back against the wall, stunned.

As the battle wore on, the Jedi began gaining the upper hand. The stormtroopers were well trained and well armed, and outnumbered the students three to one, but not even those factors were enough to beat the Force. Slowly, the stormtroopers were losing their ground as the Jedi pushed back.

"Get down!" Cilghal shouted to Leia, flinging her hand out. Leia felt a powerful ripple through the air as the Force smashed into the chest of a trooper than had leaped upon the scaffolding in front of Leia, his rifle aimed at the top of her head. The trooper flew through the air, hitting an area Leia couldn't see.

Leia nodded thanks to Cilghal, and rushed forth to disarm a black- uniformed officer, knocking him out with a solid blow to the face. A trooper rushed to his commander's aid, both hands holding a blaster. Leia easily cut the weapons into pieces with her lightsaber, and impaled the unlucky stormtrooper through the chest with the sky-blue blade.

Finally, one of the few remaining officers did the most sensible thing the Imperials had done since the attack began. He called for a retreat.

In unison, the surviving stormtroopers turned and ran in the opposite direction, realizing the hopelessness of the battle. The Jedi gave chase, getting a few more good blows in, before the troopers rushed into their transports and headed into orbit, toward the sanctuary of the Imperial fleet.

Cheers erupted in the hangar bay, with Leia's the loudest one of all. Cilghal and several others immediately set to work treating the wounded. Overall, the battle had gone well for the Jedi. Only fourteen dead, and seventeen wounded; it could have been a lot worse for them. It had turned out to be a good day after all. She felt someone enter the bay, and turned to see Kirana Ti rush through the ruined entrance. Her eyes took in the remains of the battle, and went over to Leia's side. "Are you all right?" she asked. Leia nodded, shutting off her lightsaber. "Just bruised. Have we won?" "I think so," Kirana Ti said.

The two of them turned and walked outside the temple. From there, the Knight Hammer was visible as a small triangular shape high in the atmosphere, colored by faint flickers of orange-red light as the Republic ships pounded it into oblivion.

Luke was somewhere on board, Leia knew. She wondered if he was all right.

She was barely breathing.

Luke's heart thrashed wildly against his ribs as he watched her take in shallow breaths-her chest nearly motionless. Her skin felt cold against his, like ice against his own feverish flesh.

"Please, Callista," he whispered, stroking her matted curls that were wet with blood and sweat. "Please wake up.don't do this to me, don't you do this to me." He shook her, but she continued to lay lifeless in his arms- pale and unresponsive, and it was all Luke could do not to scream out in agony at the galaxy.

I've already lost too many people I've loved. I cannot lose her, too.

"Fight for me, dammit!" he said, lifting her up to sitting. Her body collapsed ragdoll-like in his arms. "Callie, I know you can hear me.I know you're inside there. Please."

Hot tears trickled down his face, mingling with his sweat, and as he pulled her close to him, he made one last desperate attempt at saving her. Mustering all of his energy, he closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the hollow of her throat, summoning the Force-white light and energy and fire. He felt it course through his veins, and he sent this healing power to her, hoping against hope that the Force in her would respond.

He felt her stir in his arms.

"Lu...Luke."

"Callie?"

She rasped and tried to sit up. He held on to her, as if letting her go meant she would vanish altogether like smoke. "It's all right," he told her. "You'll be all right; take it easy for now."

She smiled subtly, looking at him through eyes half-closed with raging pain. "You try taking it easy when you feel like this," she stammered.

Luke laughed through his tears. He pressed his lips to her temple and brought her up to lean against him. "I thought I had lost you," he whispered. The words made him shudder-the very thought of losing her stabbed him like a thousand vibroblades.

He felt her smile against his shoulder, and she raised her head slowly. "You didn't think I was going to leave without marrying you, did you?" She touched a hand to his chin, already filled with dark blond stubble, and brought her face to his for a kiss.

At that moment, Wedge's triumphant voice crackled through the comm. "Guys, we did it! Say goodbye to Admiral Daala and the Knight Hammer forever. We won, thanks to you two!"

"Copy that, Wedge, thanks," Luke said, feeling a smile curve his lips upward. The Imperials had been defeated, and the Jedi Academy was saved.

Callista's smile widened as she gave him another kiss. "Oh, Luke," she said, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I love you so much."

Luke returned the kiss, his heart almost bursting with relief and joy. "Likewise," he whispered.

He had never been so happy to know that someone was alive. And he had never been so happy to be alive himself.

Luke still hadn't quite figured out what had come over him forty-eight hours ago. It was crazy--the craziest thing he had ever done in his life. Crazier than following an old wizard to rescue a princess he had never met; crazier than rushing off half-trained students to confront a powerful Sith Lord; crazier than walking in weaponless into the court of the most notorious gangster in the galaxy.

And yet, when he saw her at the long end of the aisle, her malt-brown tresses pinned up, wrapped in flowing white silk and silvery veils he knew that this crazy idea also made sense in every way.

My wife.

The sound of the words in his mind was pure magic-a rush so fierce and intense that he nearly lost his breath, like the rush he had felt when he had first sensed the Force awaken in his blood.

Her eyes locked with his for an instant that seemed like an eternity, and suddenly, all else disappeared in the room except for the smooth hush of his breath, and the beauty of the woman who stood before him.

As she came up to him, he whispered, "Are you all right?"

She nodded and smiled, straightening the luxurious folds of her formal gown. "Never better," she whispered back.

He returned her smile, took and kissed her extended hand, and together, they turned to face Leia to begin the ancient Jedi marriage ceremony. Their hands intertwined, they joined together in heart, mind, body, and soul and together they spoke:

The Force brought us together

And sustains our love

For eternity I will be yours

And you mine

Together for life.

Luke took his bride's face in his hands and gently, sweetly, kissed her in front of his closest friends and family. And as applause rang around them throughout the Grand Audience Chamber, the Force that radiated within them swirled in a dazzling sunburst of light and color and magic, surrounding them and penetrating them and binding them as one.

Hours later, Callista sat next to Luke at their wedding feast, beaming and still reeling from all that had happened. The feast was being held outside the Great Temple, as hundreds of students and friends celebrated their victory over Admiral Daala, as well as the union of two people who shared an equal, beautiful love for each other. While everyone else ate, drank, danced, laughed, and mingled, Callista was content to just sit next to her new husband, her hand entwined with his, gazing at each other with loving adoration in their eyes.

Had it really been? Was it true that after what seemed like a lifetime of waiting, a lifetime of tragedy and loss and shattered dreams, she was now married to the man she loved? It seemed unreal, like a dream- like everything she had ever hoped or dreamed for had come true in one moment.

She was finally home.

"What are you thinking, Callista?" Luke asked, as he cupped Callista's chin with his hands and kissed his new wife. When he pulled back, he smiled warmly at her, and pressed his forehead against hers. Callista smiled back and threw her arms around his shoulders, kissing him again. "I'm thinking about how lucky I am," she said softly. "Luke, this is the happiest day of my life, and it's all because of you."

"And you," Luke said back, kissing the crown of her head, "have made this the best day of my life. For the first time in my life, I feel...complete."

"Same here," Callista said, and sighed. "I just wish..."

"What?" asked Luke, after a moment of silence.

Callista sighed again as she laid her head against his chest. "I just wish my family was here to see this. They would have been so happy."

"I'm sure they are," Luke said soothingly, stroking his fingers through her hair. "They'll always be with you, even if you can't see them. I'm sure they're very proud of you right now."

Callista felt the faintest tinge of tears in her eyes, and blinked them away. She looked up at Luke with a smile. "Thank you," she said softly. "For the first time since I can remember, I feel like I'm finally home."

"You are," Luke said, rewarding her with another kiss. "You're forever home, my love."

They spent most of the rest of the evening in silence, watching as their friends and family enjoyed themselves, listening to the playful tunes of the jizz-wailing band. Callista smiled as she rested against Luke's chest, relishing the touch of his hands against hers. She could have spent the rest of her life in his arms, and nothing else would have mattered--

A flicker of movement caught her eye. She turned in time to see a swirl of celestial air disappear from sight. For a second, she thought she had seen a pair of green eyes staring at her through the haze.

She frowned. What.?

Then she was standing, leaning into Luke's ear and telling him that she would be right back. He looked at her worriedly, but nodded when he saw the reassuring look on her face. Callista slipped into the temple hangar bay unnoticed, looking for whomever it was she had seen.

The hangar was dark, strangely. Callista pressed on, determined to discover the identity of the strange visitor. For a moment, a cold, paralyzing hand of fear stopped her in her tracks, as she remembered what had happened in the Holocron library. But something inside her reassured her that the presence she had just felt, whatever it had been, was not malevolent. All she had to do was find out who, or what it was. Deep down, she knew who it was. Her heart pounded at that realization. And she rounded the corner, the rest of her, her entire being, resounded with the knowledge of her identity.

The black hair, the vivid green eyes that shone in their supernatural brilliance.

Her mother.

Callista drew back, remembering her mother's actions in her dream. "M- Mama?"

The ghost took a step closer, her perfect face glowing. "Hello, Lissy."

It was her mother. Only her mother had called her that. It had been her nickname for Callista when she was still young and innocent. Callista had hated it as a child, but after her mother's death, cherished it, as it was one of the few untainted memories she had left of her mother. She had not heard that name spoken to her in decades.

Callista took a step closer, despite all her inner alarms screaming for her to run away.

She'll kill you...kill you...

Callista's mother stretched out her spectral hand. "Come here, my child."

Callista hesitated, and then obeyed. She felt her hand clasp around her mother's, shuddering at the smooth texture of her pale-white skin. The last time she had felt this touch had been when she had been cradling her mother's newly dead body.

Callista looked up at her mother's face-she was slightly taller than Callista, by about two inches-into those beautiful green eyes. At first glance, no one would have thought that they were related. Callista had inherited everything from her father-the hair, the eyes, the structure of her face. Her younger brother, Josef, had been the one who bore a striking resemblance to their mother.

Not that it mattered to Callista, who had felt as a child-and still did-that her mother was the most beautiful woman in the galaxy.

Her mother marveled. "You look so beautiful, and happy."

Callista nodded. "I am happy. I miss you, though."

"I know that, Lissy." Her grip tightened. "That's why I'm here. To take you with me."

Callista's eyes widened. "What?"

"Everyone dies once. You were supposed to come to me, remember? You promised me you would. And you lied!" There was pain-real pain, not the façade the demon had used as a weapon in Callista's dream-in her voice as she spoke, and tears fell from her green, green eyes.

"Mama, please-"

"You must come with me, Lissy. Please, I'm begging you!" Her mother's voice was choked with sobs, as she held onto Callista's hand. "All these years of waiting.I need you with me. I want to make things right between us. We can be together again, in the afterlife, Callista. With the rest of our family. We can have a second chance. You promised me, Lissy. Please."

"Mama, I can't!" Callista begged, as she tried pulling free from the ghost. "Please, don't make me do this. I'm not ready yet!"

The betrayal that flashed in her mother's eyes was so heartbreaking that Callista almost recanted. Almost. "Even now, after thirty years, you still care nothing for me. Do you feel anything at all toward me? I gave you everything, Callista, and it meant nothing to you! Do you honestly think so little of me, that you would go so far as to break your promise?"

"Mama-"

"No!" For the first time, Callista heard anger in her mother's voice, and she felt an actual rush of fear, fear of what the spirit would do to her. "Lissy, I love you. I have always loved you. You will always be my daughter. And I know that does not mean much to you, but it does to me. I know you never loved me as much as you loved your father, and I accept that. The least you can do for me now is to join me on the Other Side.as you promised."

Callista stopped struggling with her mother, just kept staring into her eyes, into the pain sparkling in them, a decades-old pain that had never fully healed. Unbidden, the memory of that fateful day came back like a wave crashing into her:

Her mother lay dying in her arms, beyond saving. She managed pained words as the poison slowly killed her, her hand tightening around her daughter's, the life draining from her eyes. "Lissy.Promise me.when your time comes, join me on the Other Side. Promise me."

And Callista, barely seven years old, nodded amid her frightened, little-girl tears. "I promise, Mama. I will, I promise."

"But it's not my time yet!" Callista cried. She fought to pull herself away. "I will come to you, as I promised, but when it's time! I love you, Mama! I swear I do!"

Her mother stopped pulling, aghast. "Say it again."

Callista straightened. She reached with one hand and stroked her mother's soft, pale cheek. As she looked deep into her eyes, she saw the pain still buried in them, as fresh as it had been forty years ago. Not even death had changed that. For the first time in her life, she could see the ordeal her mother had gone through, and how selfish she had been as a child to have kept her at a distance. "I love you, Mama."

The spirit came closer. Callista wanted to take a step back, but it would only betray what she had just said, even though she had meant every word. She let her mother touch her face. Her hand was warm, soothing. "That's all I wanted to hear, my darling...to know you love me...it's enough to let me wait."

"Mama...I'm sorry. I'm sorry I killed you."

Her mother shook her head. "No, my darling. Don't be. I died so you could live. Remember that, and live like I didn't."

Callista smiled, tears now rolling down her cheeks. "I will."

The ghost kissed her forehead, and vanished.

"Callista?" Luke's voice said from behind her. "Are you okay?"

Callista turned. "Did you see...?"

Luke shook his head. "I didn't see anything. What was it? You're crying; are you okay?"

Callista looked back at the place where her mother had stood moments before. "I'm fine."

Deep within the jungles of Yavin 4, she stood, watching the festival from a faraway distance. She watched, somber, as an alien band began playing a new tune. The guests rose from their seats to dance, but her eyes never left Callista.

She, along with her new husband, had rejoined the feast moments ago. Hand in hand, they began dancing in the center of the crowd, moving with swiftness and radiance, their lives full of happiness.

At least for now.

But she knew what was to come. What would have to come.

This happiness would not last for much longer.

As midnight neared, and the reception continued outside, Luke and Callista slipped away, hand in hand. They walked down the hall, silently reflecting.

Callista stared off into space, feeling better than she had been in a long time. Her mother's unexpected visit had lifted a great burden off her shoulders, one she had been carrying since her seventh lifeday. For the first time in decades, she felt good about herself. It was wonderful to finally have this terrible burden cast off, leaving no guilt behind. Only love...love for her mother, with whom she had finally made peace with, and love for the man who walked beside her, his hand joined with hers.

Callista looked over at Luke, her head tilted to the side. She smiled and reached for his face, turning him to face her. Leaning against the wall, she kissed him passionately, taking him entirely by surprise.

He did not resist, though, instead lifting her light frame so she could wrap her legs around his waist. His lips wandered around her neck and throat, tasting her pulse, as she ran her fingers through his hair in anticipation. Without breaking contact, Luke found the handle of his door and pushed it open.

Once they were inside, Luke set her down and shut the door with a dismissive mental push. Callista pulled back and looked at him, eyes closed and mouth open, waiting for her lips to rejoin his. She smiled and brushed against his lips.

"Keep your eyes closed," she said. She kissed him lightly, barely letting their lips touch before taking a step back. She hooked her fingers through his belt loops to guide him after her, teasing him with more almost-kisses.

"This isn't fair," Luke said, mock-pouting. He grabbed her playfully, knocking them both onto the bed. The mattress bounced under the impact, and Callista laughed and kissed him passionately again.

Luke moaned, satisfied for the moment. He rose to his knees and pulled off the stiff formal jacket he had worn, understanding why Han hated them so. Callista untucked his shirt and pulled it over his head. She stroked his chest and kissed his smooth, muscular skin.

"Did you lock the door?" she murmured.

"Oh, damn!" Luke said, leaping off the bed and locking the door.

Callista laughed as she kicked off her shoes and slipped the straps of her dress over her shoulders. Luke returned to her and kissed her again. His hands slipped around her waist and up her back, undoing the clasps one by one. He felt her warm skin beneath the silky fabric, quivering. Luke pushed her back to the bed and laid her down gently, leaving her dress discarded on the floor.

Her body was flawless, as if carved from a sculpture, pale and smooth under the moonlight streaming from the window. Luke found himself unable to breathe as he gazed down at her beautiful brown hair, her smooth and pale neck, her perfect breasts, her smoky-gray eyes, her long legs. He had met many, many beautiful women in his life, but to him, the most beautiful one of all was lying right before him, waiting for him. He brought himself closer to her, barely able to contain himself.

Callista wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down into her shoulder. She kissed his earlobe, and whispered, "Touch me."

Slowly, Luke ran his hand up her side and traced the curve of her breast. He cupped his hand around it gently, and she exhaled. With trembling fingers, she unfastened his trousers and slid them down his legs, kicking them off past his knees. She looked up at him, breathing heavily and kissing him again.

"Don't be scared." She sat up and giggled. "Fasten your seatbelt, Master Skywalker, and I will be your guide into a world of undiscovered-" She kissed his lower lip. "-excitement."

She lay back down, taking him with her. "Don't be scared," she said again.

Luke gasped and moaned, the sensations flooding through him taking him by surprise. He thrust into her, again, again, trembling with excitement.

Callista moaned each time. "Harder," she pleaded amid gasps. "More, please, more. Yes..."

Luke thrust again and again, faster. He ignored the sweat collecting on his skin, only focused on Callista, moving rhythmically beneath him, her face compressed in a mixture of intense pain and pure ecstasy. His hands were tingling, every inch of him quivering with desire.

Callista rolled on top of him and sat up. She rose up and down on top of him, eyes closed.

"Callie--" Luke tried to say, but was out of breath. He held onto her hips, and moaned in pleasure, his eyes rolling back in his head.

After an eternity, he cried out as his entire body went rigid, and Callista moaned louder than ever. She froze, holding onto the climax for as long as she could before collapsing, exhausted and breathless, beside him. He laid his head back and exhaled, trying in vain to reform himself from an incoherent puddle.

"Callie, that..." He waved a hand, wrapping his arm around her. "That was amazing."

She moaned and nuzzled his neck.

"I love you," he said.

She smiled. "I love you, too." She snuggled under his arm and stroked his chest, using her tongue to lick some of the sweat off, slowly, sensually. Luke shuddered at the feel of her tongue, a low, pleasure-filled moan escaping his lips. He brushed his fingers up and down her side.

Neither spoke for a long time, as they caught their breath. She lay so still beside him, as if the effort of lovemaking had drained all of the life out of her.

"Callista?"

"Hmmm?" she murmured.

"Tell me about your life before," he said. "What do you remember?"

Callista sighed. "I remember...Master Altis, Geith. Some faces but no names...a boy with blond hair, and green eyes...I think I had something of a crush on him. He died...badly, I think." She shuddered. "Anyway, Geith and I, we were together for four years. Towards the end, though, we...we grew apart."

"Why?"

She did not answer right away. "Something happened, something to make Geith denounce the Jedi. He didn't understand why I didn't, too."

"What happened?"

She shook her head. "I-I don't remember." She slid on top of him. "Let's not talk about this," she said, kissing him slowly, seductively.

Luke kissed her back, pulling her against him. His questions about her mysterious past faded from his mind. It didn't matter, really. Nothing mattered but their future.

Callista rolled on her back and rubbed her foot up and down his leg.

Luke moved over her, resting on his elbows and stroking her face. "I love you, Callista." He kissed the narrow valley between her breasts, moved to the hollow of her throat. "Forever."

He kissed her lips, and they made love again.


	5. Kara

Forever Home: A Luke and Callista Story  
  
Part 5  


  
She was in the water again.  
Waves swirled around her, almost overtaking her as she struggled to keep her head above the angry waters.  
_ It's a hurricane...  
_ She had seen so many of them as a child, and barely survived some of them, and now she was caught in the middle of one vicious storm.  
"Papa? Uncle Claine?"  
There was no answer, but of course, there wouldn't be. Their ark was nowhere in sight, and as Callista fought the raging sea, choking on the gulp-fulls of saltwater, she saw that she was in the middle of the vast ocean-with no rescue in sight.  
_ Oh stars...where am I? _she thought, feeling her lungs burning inside her as she gasped for air.  
"Papa? Papa???"  
"That's right, call for your father again," came a thin, faint voice.  
Callista held her breath and looked around her to see where it had come from, but nothing. There was nothing.  
"M-Mama?" she called out tentatively.  
Just beyond her, in the hazy distance, through the avalanche of rain and waves, she thought she saw a misty figure surrounded by singing cy'eens. And soon, she felt the chill of the haunting melody the ocean creatures sang, almost like...a death march.  
"Mama?" she said again. She blinked and tried to focus on the dim image, but it didn't go away. The phantom woman stood, as if floating on the surface of the water, and Callista's eyes grew wide as she watched the figure skim effortlessly towards her.  
"What's the matter, pretty girl, your father has abandoned you?"  
It was her-the woman who had tried to kill Callista in her nightmare, the dark, evil presence she had felt in the Holocron library. Callista knew it, felt it in the vicious chill of her bones. Up close, she did not look anything like Callista's mother at all-nothing like the kind, gentle woman who sang her to sleep as a little girl. Nothing like the sad woman whose spirit had visited Callista on her wedding night.  
No...this was an impostor. And Callista shuddered to think what it wanted with her.  
The figure smiled, a horrific smile of pure evil. "You can wake up and make me disappear from your nightmares, Callista, but in your waking hour, you will see me again. You cannot run away from me, I promise you. You and your new husband will die."  
"No!!!!" she screamed with such a force that she shook awake, feeling thousands of tremors overtake her body.  
"Callista? Callie, I'm here...I'm right here, sweetheart."  
She felt his arms encircle her, and she latched onto him as if he was the only sturdy tree in a windstorm. As she pressed her naked body close to his, warming herself against his flesh, she looked around. It was safe, she was home, in their bed.  
But still, the chill of Chad's oceans numbed her skin, even as Luke pulled her close to him.  
"You're fine now, you're fine...It's over."  
She slipped her arms around his neck and breathed deep, exhaling shakily as if the one breath could rid her of the fright.  
"I..." The words would not come out. "Luke, I'm...I'm just so glad I'm here."  
He pulled away from her to look in her eyes. "What was it? You're shaking." He rubbed his hands up and down her arms, making her goosebumps go away.  
"I just...I had a nightmare." She shut her eyes and shook her head. "I don't even want to think about it, Luke. I just want to forget it. I want to forget everything outside this room."  
He smiled and her and drew her close again. "That can be arranged," he whispered, kissing her half-closed eyes.  
She returned his smile and snuggled close to him. "I don't want anything to spoil this night."  
"Nothing could ever spoil it, my love." He cupped her face and gave her a long kiss, full of promise and love. "The first night of many."  
  
The next day, in the early morning, Kyp and Tionne trekked through the humid Massassi jungle, each carrying their lightsabers and a bottle of water in case they ever got thirsty. They had been traveling for over two and a half hours now, and would reach their destination momentarily.  
"I'm glad to see you're feeling better," Tionne said to Kyp as he led the way.  
Kyp turned to her and smiled. After the battle with Admiral Daala's fleet, Kyp had returned to the infirmary to have his wounds treated-many of the injuries he had sustained from the HRD had reopened in the battle-and spent several hours in a bacta tank to finish, just when Tionne had finally come to. They had both recovered just in time for Luke and Callista's wedding.  
"Thanks. You seem to be much better as well."  
"I am, trust me," Tionne said, wiping beads of sweat from her pale forehead. "Force, it's hot as hell out here."  
"You need the tan," Kyp joked, and then laughed as the silver-haired Jedi playfully punched him in the shoulder.  
  
"Master Altis was kind of a rebel," Callista said, buttoning Luke's shirt. "He taught his students differently than the other Masters. The Council was okay with that, as long as he checked in with them once a year."  
"What did he teach differently?"  
"Well, for starters, he never believed any of that midichlorian stuff."  
"Midichlorians?" Luke looked at her strangely, and she stopped buttoning his shirt and looked up in surprise.  
"The supposed microscopic beings that live inside us and connect us to the Force? Supposedly, the more midichlorians, the stronger you were. It was rumored that your father had over twenty thousand."   
He met her eyes in surprise. "My father?" Callista bent in front of the mirror and raked her fingers haphazardly through her hair.   
"More than Yoda himself. I don't believe it either. Why must there be a scientific explanation to everything?"   
Luke shrugged. "I guess it made someone feel better."   
"Yeah, and that's why they killed us all. Anyway, he did teach us about the living Force versus the unifying Force."  
"What?"  
She looked at him with a hint of a smile. "How things have changed," she said. "In my day, you'd never become a Jedi with how little you know."  
He shrugged. "Desperate times, darling," he said, pulling her close for a kiss.  
  
Tionne sighed. "So, how close are we to that temple?"  
"We should be getting there," Kyp said as he sliced through a vine blocking their way. "Me, Dorsk 81, and Tereias had been looking for it, but we were interrupted by the HRD."  
Tionne shuddered. "I still can't believe what she did to poor Tereias."  
"I know," Kyp said solemnly, images of the HRD ripping her hand into the young man's chest replaying in his mind. "Thank the Force she's dead now."  
"Hey, is that the path you were telling me about?" She pointed up ahead.  
Kyp squinted his eyes and nodded. "Sure is. Come on, we're almost there." They walked on, careful to avoid a swarm of piranha-beetles chasing after an injured woolamander.  
As they followed the natural pathway and reached the end, they found it.  
The temple, twice as small as the Great Temple, was dome-shaped, unlike the flat ziggurats of the Massassi pyramids. It had been built from limestone and wood, and most of it was in surprisingly good condition. A series of stone steps led up to the entrance, where two large humanoid statues worn and withered with age stood on either side of the yawning doorway, brandishing double-bladed staffs. Vines had caved in through the walls and roof, and the flora and fauna of Yavin 4 had made their homes in it for centuries. The walls of the temple were inscribed with hieroglyphics from a language long forgotten. They seemed to glow with their own inner light, as if whatever had built this temple had never completely gone away.  
"This is it," Kyp said.  
"It looks so...different," Tionne commented, her eyes widened with awe. "The design is different from the Massassi."  
"Well, come on," Kyp said as he headed for the ancient ruins.  
"We're going inside?" Tionne asked.  
"Of course, silly," Kyp said. "Why else would we have come here? Don't worry, we're Jedi. We can handle anything that's in there."  
Tionne looked up at the temple. Despite Kyp's assurances, she could not help but feel afraid. She cast her eyes upon the gargoyle statues, which seemed to stare at her back with empty, lifeless stone eyes. Something was not right.  
"Come on, Tionne!"  
She sighed, and followed her friend.  
  
From the highest tower of the ancient temple, she stood, hidden from the sunlight, watching silently as the two Jedi Knights entered the ruins. The dark-haired young man was the first in-probably to check for anything dangerous. The silver-haired woman stood near the cavernous entrance, obviously uneasy about going inside. A moment later, she gathered up her courage and followed in.  
She slowly nodded. These two would do for now.  
"Come in, young Jedi," she whispered, her voice thick with hatred and anticipation. "Please, do come in."  
  
"Tell me about Tatooine," Callista said. She laced her arm through his as they walked down to the mess hall.  
"It's hot," Luke said. "That's all there really is to say about it."  
She laughed. "But what about your family, your friends?"  
Luke smiled as the memories flooded back to him. "They called me Wormie," he said.  
"Your family?"  
"No," he said with a laugh. "My friends."  
"Why?"  
He thought for a moment. "You know, I don't know."  
"Good morning, Master Skywalker!" Cilghal greeted the two of them as she came into the hall. "Did you sleep well?"  
Luke and Callista exchanged a secretive glance.  
Cilghal stopped beside Luke and looked closer. "Master, you have something on your neck."  
Luke slapped his neck and felt the tingling spot. Then he remembered Callista, last night, kissing his neck, leaving love bites on his skin. He glanced at her beside him. She was stifling a giggle, and mouthed, "Sorry."  
Luke smiled at her and looked back at Cilghal, who, if it were possible, looked pinker than usual.  
  
Tionne gaped in awe as she and Kyp stared at the interior of the ancient temple. Unlike the Massassi structures, which bore large, vast halls reflecting a proud, cultural civilization long gone, this one, much like the outside of the temple, seemed smaller, more comfortable, perhaps even the tiniest bit claustrophobic. The main hall was still large and spacious, true, but not stretching endlessly like the Grand Audience Chamber. Compared to the Massassi temples, it was as large as the command tower of a Corellian gunship. If the exterior of the temple wasn't enough to prove that it was not Massassi in origin, then the inside most definitely was. It was so different from its Massassi counterparts.beautiful in a strange kind of way.  
A large fountain stood in the center of the chamber, with a stone statue of a woman with beautiful wings and four outstretched hands, most likely a shrine dedicated to a deity of some kind. From the looks of it, Tionne guessed that water would come out of the statue's open mouth and pool into the fountain. However, the fountain had not been used in centuries, and all that was left was greenish-black muck.  
Torn purple-black drapes covered the large, stained-glass windows of the temple, and Tionne gazed up at the stretching ceiling. Despite the vast holes caused by vines smashing in, she could discern numerous painting on the ceiling, most of which seemed to resemble large, muscular feline creatures, with grayish-white skin and eyes without pupils, giving them a ghostly and frightening appearance. The painted figures were dressed in red and black and carried scythes, and seemed to be slaughtering unarmed beings.  
The Massassi, perhaps?  
As she stared transfixed at the paintings, they seemed to come alive before her, glowing with a deep, inner fire. For a brief, terrifying second, Tionne could see herself standing amidst a landscape streaked with fire, screams echoing all around her, accompanied by the familiar sound of tearing flesh, and a deep, low-throated laugh that seemed to resound in her mind-  
"I wonder who could've built this temple," Kyp said, cutting through Tionne's trance. As if it had never happened, the vision dissipated into oblivion. "According to our records, it was built centuries before the Massassi ever set foot on Yavin 4."  
Tionne looked at her friend, surprised. "Are you saying that someone else built this temple other than the Massassi? Then.that means the Massassi weren't the first race to live on Yavin 4."  
Kyp nodded. "The question is, what ever happened to these people? Do you think they died out? Or were they conquered by Exar Kun the same time the Massassi were?"  
Tionne looked around the room, a cold shiver running up her back. "I don't know," she said. "But I really don't want to find out." She glanced back up at the ceiling, at the paintings that stared silently down at her. "I doubt they were still around in Exar Kun's time. Force, I think they were gone long before the Massassi showed up. The Holocrons would have mentioned something about them otherwise." She turned back to Kyp. "Are there any other temples of the same design in the area?"  
Kyp shook his head. "This was the only one we could find. We searched pretty much every nook and cranny of the jungle, and came up with nothing." He gestured with his hands. "This is it. The only evidence of this race's existence."  
"Can we go now?" Tionne pleaded, hugging her arms. "This place is giving me the creeps."  
"No way, we just got here. Let's take a look around," Kyp suggested, heading toward a flight of stairs that led upwards to the higher levels of the temple.  
"Kyp, I don't think-"  
"Oh, don't worry," her companion said quickly. "What could possibly happen?"  
A lot of things, Tionne thought, but didn't voice out loud. Most of them bad. Before she could object, he was already running up the stairs.  
  
"I don't understand, though," Luke said, swallowing a mouthful of fried bread. "Why would Master Yoda have said I was too old to begin the training?"  
Callista sipped her water. "Well, in the old order, candidates were taken when they were born, as infants. They didn't have much contact with their families, and most of them had none at all. The Jedi were our families. Master Altis, though, he didn't like that idea any more than he liked the idea of midichlorians. He knew that there were any number of teenaged candidates living on backwater planets, out of the jurisdiction of the Republic. He didn't think we should be shunned our birthright just because we were too old."  
"How old were you?"  
"Seventeen," she replied, propping her chin in one hand. "but I came in at a very hectic time. The Jedi were about to be extinct. That's why my training was so abbreviated."  
"And yet, you still know more than I do," Luke said.  
Callista shrugged. "Master Altis told me once that a Jedi never stops learning. You learn while you teach your own students."  
Luke nodded. "Do you think you'd be interested in teaching here?"  
Callista paused, considering. "Perhaps. When all this dies down, sure."  
"When all what dies down?" Luke asked, frowning.  
"There's something else here," she said, distractedly. "I don't think we're safe yet."  
"Callista, don't worry so much. The droid's been destroyed. Daala's dead." He grabbed her hand. "And we're married. Nothing could go wrong now."  
Something changed in Callista's eyes. That is quite possibly the greatest of all famous last words, she muttered, shaking her head, as if distracted by something else. She turned sharply, and looked over her shoulder, but there was no one there.  
  
Now alone, the silver-haired Jedi began wandering around the temple's entrance, wondering what to do now. Something did not quite feel right for her, but she couldn't pinpoint the uneasiness.  
She walked closer to the statue of the four-armed woman at the fountain, her steps thudding quietly in the chamber. The wind whispered lightly against her back, wiping away the perspiration that had been on her neck since early morning, causing her to shiver. She would have rather been out in the jungle again in the blazing weather, enduring poisonous insects and piranha-beetles, than be in here.  
The statue seemed to be looking away from her, gazing up at the sky, as if deep in thought. She was so beautiful, barely scathed by the centuries of erosion that plagued the rest of the temple. Tionne reached up to touch her, her curiosity getting the better of her, closing her eyes, trying to reach out through the Force-  
She was standing in the same fiery plain as before, the heat overwhelming on her skin. Gigantic red fingers of lightning rained from the reddish-purple sky, accompanied by strokes of fames that touched the arid ground, causing it to sizzle, rip open great gashes through the dirt, spilling lava through the cracks. The ground began to shake, causing her to fall to her knees, gasping at the pain that shuddered through her bones.  
A figure stood before her, silent and draped in flowing purple robes. She looked up and saw the woman, her wings extended tall and proud in the air, her four hands clasping four double-bladed swords. Her pupil-less eyes glowed a bright red amber, her flowing auburn hair cascading down her shoulders, moving as though it possessed a life of its own. Two other figures flanked her from both sides, although she could not discern their features. The woman said something in a language she was not familiar with.  
A shadow loomed over her, and she turned to see another figure standing behind her, hidden in a black shroud. She could not see its face, only its eyes, radiating a deep blue-white. She could feel the evil emanating from this being, more so than anyone she had encountered in her life, and it staggered her. The being spoke, its inflection indicating that it was female. She only said one word.  
"Sheherhera."  
A sudden burst of bright, blue light enveloped them, and she screamed as an endless wave of agony threw itself over her body, propelling her out of the fiery world and into-  
Tionne screamed as her eyes snapped open, her arms going up to shield her face as if warding off a blow. She looked around, breathless, and found herself back in the ancient temple, still near the statue of the woman she had seen in her vision.  
Tionne slowly backed away from the fountain, every nerve in her body screaming. The evil she had felt earlier soaked the walls of the temple, dark and powerful. She looked around and saw no one, but deep down in her gut, she knew she was being watched.  
Not wasting a breath, Tionne began heading for the stairs. She was going to get Kyp and get the hell out of there as soon as possible.  
"Hello, Tionne."  
  
"I know it sounds crazy, Luke, and I know I probably sound paranoid. I just-I have a feeling that there's something wrong. I can feel something, something familiar."  
"Familiar?" Luke was beginning to be alarmed. Her hand was getting clammy under his.  
"I don't know. I've felt it before." Callista closed her eyes. Her breath was growing shallow. "I just-I can't place where--"  
Anticipating her faint, Luke caught her as she slumped out of her chair. "Callie? Callie, talk to me. What wrong?"  
She moaned and trembled in his arms. Luke looked around at the startled students gathering around him. "Somebody go and get Cilghal," he said, and looked down at Callista in the crook of his arm. Her lips were moving like a fish gasping for water, her voice escaping through them in thready whispers.  
"What?" He leaned his ear closer to her mouth.  
"She is coming...she is coming..."  
  
The voice took her by surprise, and Tionne whirled around to see someone standing behind her, draped completely in black. Her knees nearly buckled and collapsed as her eyes set upon the face hidden by the darkness of the hood. It was the same being in her vision. The one that had spoke that one, indecipherable word, the one seething with unimaginable evil.  
She was here for her.  
"Who are you?" Tionne demanded, taking a few steps back.  
The figure hesitated. "You know who I am," she replied in an ominous voice. "I am your past.your present.your future. I created this universe, and I can destroy if I so choose. Soon, you and all forms of life will worship me."  
"I don't understand," Tionne said, tempted to just run. But something held her back. "What do you want from me?"  
The woman reached her pale hand out towards her. "You'll see."  
With that, she disappeared into a cloud of smoke.  
Tionne watched, aghast, as the black smoke rose from the air and began to surround her, cutting her off from the sunlight, from the temple, from Yavin 4 itself. Tionne tried to fight it, tried to push it away with the Force, but was she wasn't strong enough to perform such a trick.  
The woman's laugh-that same, deep-throated laugh she had heard earlier-echoed in her ears as the smoke began entering her body, seeping through her pores, her ears, her nose, her mouth, everything it could crawl into. Tionne screamed and struggled, but no matter how hard she resisted, she could not fight it back.  
Before she knew it, Tionne was already slipping into blackness.  
  
A year had passed since Kyp had succumbed to the dark side and Exar Kun's teachings. Even after all this time, his dreams were still plagued with the Sith Lord's tattooed face, his attack on Master Skywalker, the destruction of the Caridan System and death of his own brother, of all the unspeakable crimes he had committed and had just recently only begun to heal from.  
But most of all, he still remembered the ancient Sith temple. The obsidian statue of Exar Kun ominously looming over the quicksilver lake that surrounded the Massassi structure, the vague sense of evil it emanated. Kyp could still remember it all with vivid clarity, and he doubted he would ever forget it.  
Now, as he crept up the narrow, twisting stairway of the ancient temple-one so old that it made the Massassi ones seem recent in comparison- those same feelings came back to him. This temple, everywhere around him- the cracks in the walls, the ceiling, the stairs-seemed to seethe with an ancient evil, one long since gone.  
Or, was it?  
Kyp's hand instinctively went to his lightsaber, and he silently chided himself for his paranoia. Now he was starting to act like Tionne. _There's nothing in here besides the two of us,_ he kept repeating to himself logically, although deep down in his gut, he wasn't so sure about that.  
The stairway was almost pitch-black, even in the morning hours. A few faint streaks of sunlight managed to slither through the ceiling cracks, but that was it. A faint, musty smell crept up into Kyp's nostrils, causing him to cough several times. It was the smell of decay, as well as the familiar scent of ozone.  
It was coming from upstairs.  
His curiosity aroused, Kyp doubled his speed, careful not to walk too fast or too hard. The stairs, though amazingly well preserved considering the age of the temple, still contained weak spots, ones that could cause the steps to cave in should Kyp apply too much pressure upon them. A slight breeze ran through the air, causing his skin to prickle.  
For a moment, it sounded like someone whispering through the wind.  
It did not take long for him to reach the top of the stairs. A single door awaited him, slightly ajar. Kyp noticed a great deal of sunlight pouring from the cracks. And for the briefest of seconds, he thought he detected movement.  
_Calm down! _ he told himself. He slowly pushed open the wooden door, cringing at the heavy creaking that followed. Almost immediately, he was hit with a burst of sunlight, and he felt a great deal of relief when he saw that no one else was in the room.  
The room was extremely small, slightly larger than his living quarters in the Great Temple. It was completely bare, save for a small pile of ashes in the center, suggesting that someone had once built a fire in this room eons ago.  
As Kyp entered the room, shielding his eyes from the sunlight streaming in through the large, open window, he noticed that the ozone smell he had detected earlier was coming from the ashes.this was a recent fire.  
Feeling a slight twinge of fear, Kyp knelt closer, and placed his hand just above the ashes. Sure enough, they were still warm. Someone had started this fire no more than twenty minutes ago at the most.  
A cold chill ran through his body as he realized that someone had been in this room, not too long ago.  
_ Behind you._  
Without even thinking, Kyp spun around, and of course, nothing was there.  
_ Stupid_! He thought to himself._ Now, I'm jumping at voices in my head._  
Then he felt it again...that same evil he had sensed in the stairway. It was recent, and fresh, and very, very powerful. Not as powerful as Exar Kun had been, maybe, but it was close.  
And it seemed to be everywhere.  
Kyp stood up immediately, backing away from the ashes. His eyes scanned the tiny room. He had to find Tionne and get the hell out of there and inform Master Skywalker about this.  
They never should have come. Kyp heard Tionne's scream seconds later, and he quickly rushed out of the room, down the stairs, his heart jumping into his throat. "Tionne!" he shouted, freeing his lightsaber from his belt. His friend did not answer. He finally reached the main entrance to the temple, and saw Tionne curled up on the floor, her body convulsing in pain. Something must have attacked her.  
"Tionne!" Kyp exclaimed as he ran over to the young woman. Tionne was already starting to get up. "Are you-?" Tionne's fist suddenly came out of nowhere, smashing right into Kyp's face. The young man reeled back from the force of the blow, blood rushing from the corner of his mouth. Kyp's hand went up to his wound. When he looked up, Tionne was gone. He looked around the chamber, instantly alert. He had no idea what had gone through Tionne, but he was not going to take any chances. He switched on his lightsaber, his Force senses flaring to life.  
Kyp.  
He cried out as someone's foot struck him in the small of his back, knocking him against the old fountain. Kyp landed in a puddle of ooze, his lightsaber flying out of his reach. He staggered out of the fountain, the front of his shirt drenched in green- black ichor. He looked up and saw Tionne a few feet away. She was staring at him through new eyes, no longer a gleaming mother-of- pearl, but a dark, endless black. Her curved smile sent a shudder down his spine, and her hands hooked out into sharp claws.   
"Surprised, friend?" Kyp stood straight and tall, meeting his opponent face-to-face.   
"You're not Tionne."   
Tionne nodded. "You're right. I'm not." She then came forth. Kyp was unprepared. Tionne moved too fast for his eyes to lock onto her. Seconds later, she was standing right in front of him. Before he could recover from his shock, Tionne sent an uppercut into his jaw, spinning him around. Kyp spat out two teeth that had been knocked loose. His entire mouth burned with pain. Tionne grabbed him by the arm and spun him back around. When he was facing her, she hit him again, even harder than before. Kyp reeled from the blow, and then gasped as Tionne punched him right in the spinal cord, nearly breaking it in half. Each blow seemed to grow even more painful. As Kyp slumped to one knee, Tionne grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and stood him back up. Her breath felt hot and unwelcome on his face. "Having fun yet, Kyp?" she snarled, as she ground her fist into his solar plexus. Kyp nearly passed out from the blow, and he fell down, vomiting blood. Tionne stepped away as his blood splattered, and grabbed a handful of his black hair and yanked upwards, forcing Kyp to look up at her. She punched him again. Kyp was sent reeling back against the fountain. His vision became engulfed in white; his mind began to spin.   
He barely had a chance to recover when Tionne sent a right hook into his jaw. The blow-the hardest one of all- smashed Kyp's jawbone, and he collapsed.   
"I want you to deliver a message to Callista," Tionne said, her voice deep and demonic now. Not human. "Tell her that I am watching her, and I know her little secret." Kyp managed to get up to his hands and knees, his face meeting Tionne's. The woman stared down at him. "Tell her that death is coming for her." Her foot smashed into his face, and Kyp knew no more.  
  
After several refreshing sips of water, Callista felt more like herself. Luke held her hand tightly, never leaving her side. Her fainting spell had terrified him, bringing back fresh memories of nearly losing her to the Sith Witch. Even more puzzling was what she had said. "Honestly, Luke, I feel fine. I was just a little dizzy."   
"You said someone was coming," he said. "Someone you knew.  
"I don't know who that would be." She shook her head. "It was just rambling." She leaned forward and kissed him. "You don't need to worry about me so, darling."   
"You say that too much."   
Callista looked at him, but didn't say anything. She was thinking.  
  
She walked out of the temple, her eyes taking in the jungle that surrounded her. She took a deep breath, savoring the fresh morning air of Yavin 4. This new body was different and unusual. The woman's Force powers were almost nonexistent that it was pathetic. But it would do for now.  
She focused her oily black eyes past the dense foliage, where she knew the Great Temple awaited. Where Callista awaited.  
_ You thought you were rid of me forever, didn't you? You'll never be rid of me. I'll always haunt your dreams, your thoughts, in every waking day of your life. Soon, I'll have my revenge on you for what you did to my father and me.  
_ She then felt a presence in the Force. She closed her eyes and saw, in her mind, one of the Jedi students, Kirana Ti, going for a little swim in the Massassi Lake.  
She opened her eyes and smiled. "I'm going to enjoy this," she said as she strode toward the lake.  
  
Kirana Ti slipped out of her green reptilian hides-the typical clothing for women of Dathomir-and leaped into the deep, crystal-blue lake. She plunged into the cold water with a splash and swam down toward the bottom of the lake.  
As a child growing up on Dathomir, Kirana Ti loved swimming. Every day, she would go to a small pond that was near her parents' hut and play in the water with her brothers and sisters. Those were the happiest times of her life, she remembered.  
Although she loved Yavin 4 and loved her Jedi training, Kirana Ti still missed Dathomir with a passion. She missed her home, her fellow Sisters, her mother, father, grandmother, and especially her young daughter, Arian. She was reaching her eighth lifeday in three months, and Kirana Ti would be unable to attend. The knowledge saddened her, but Kirana Ti continued to look forward to the day when she would complete her training and return to Dathomir, a Jedi Knight. Her family would be so proud of her when that day would come.  
Kirana Ti went to the Massassi Lake at least twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. Others would sometimes accompany her, but Kirana Ti preferred to be alone.  
As she swam along the floor of the lake, a school of rainbow-fish scurried past her, their group breaking up in alarm when they saw her. Kirana Ti smiled and plowed into the small school. None of the fish were harmed, but they were easily scared off.  
Oh, how she loved it here! Even though Yavin 4 could never replace Dathomir, it was still a wonderful world in its own right. And this lake was Kirana Ti's favorite place to go. Swimming always helped take her mind off things that troubled her.  
But today was different. Admiral Daala was finally defeated, the Imperial fleet routed by the Jedi Knights and the New Republic. Callista now had her Force powers back, and she and Luke were finally married. There was nothing to worry about anymore.  
Kirana Ti swam back up and broke through the surface, taking several deep breaths. She looked up at the sky and saw the sun starting to rise. It was now morning, and the other Jedi trainees would soon be waking up.  
She still had a few hours before classes.  
Kirana Ti laughed with joy and went back underwater.  
She finally reached the shore of the Massassi Lake, her black eyes taking in the gorgeous scenery that greeted her. In the middle of the lake, she watched as the warrior woman Kirana Ti plunged back into the cold water.  
She smiled, a plan forming in her head.  
She closed her eyes and concentrated on the lake itself. In her mind, she could see the tiny molecules that made up the body of water, swirling around in constant motion. She called upon the Force, stretching her arms high into the air. With her powers, she halted the movement of the molecules, forcing them to stop in their tracks. Slowly, the water began to freeze as well.  
Within seconds, a thick layer of ice had covered the entire lake.  
She smiled. Kirana Ti was trapped.  
  
Kirana Ti, now needing another breath of air, swam back up to the surface, her arms making small waves in the water.  
But as she headed to the surface, her head bumped against a layer of ice.  
Kirana Ti looked up in shock and tried to push the ice away. But it would not budge. The woman, panic beginning to overwhelm her, began pounding furiously on the frozen water, trying to break free.  
What had happened? Why was this ice here?  
The entire surface of the lake was now frozen, and there was no way for Kirana Ti to get out. She was trapped.  
And she was running out of air.  
  
She watched, amused, as Kirana Ti tried to break through the ice.  
"It's no use, Jedi," she said, knowing that the warrior would not hear her. "You'll never break free."  
  
Kirana Ti was on the verge of screaming. Never before had she felt such fear. She continued banging her fists against the solid ice, but it did no good.  
She looked up and vaguely saw someone standing on the other side of the icy surface, just above her. Was it Master Skywalker? Callista? One of the Jedi trainees? She tried to make out whom it was, but the ice was too thick for her to see.  
The figure continued staring down at her, unmoving.  
Whoever it was, it obviously was not going to help her.  
_ What am I going to do?  
_ She stopped struggling and allowed herself to drift down to the bottom of the lake. Finally relaxing her body, Kirana Ti, trying to conserve the little oxygen she had left, closed her eyes and felt the Force flow through her. The ice was indeed strong, but with the Force on Kirana Ti's side, she could do anything. Size matters not...  
She then shot up as fast as a proton torpedo, heading directly for the ice. She struck with the Force, and the frozen water started cracking open. Faster and faster, Kirana Ti watched as the ice shattered and fell into the water. She leaped out of the water, and performed a flip through the air, landing safely on the shore.  
Kirana Ti breathed in several deep breaths of air, her body flooded with relief. She had made it.  
But who had that figure been?  
"Took you long enough," a voice from behind said.  
Kirana Ti stood up in surprise and turned around to see Tionne, her lightsaber drawn out.  
"Tionne?" she said. "Why did you not help me? You saw that I was trapped beneath the ice."  
Tionne laughed, glaring daggers at the Dathomirian warrior. "Look into my eyes, Jedi. Do you see your friend Tionne anywhere?"  
Kirana Ti gasped when she realized that something was amiss. Tionne's mother-of-pearl eyes were absent, replaced with a dark, oily black.  
She looked up at the woman. No...not Tionne. That woman was not Tionne. "Who are you?" she asked dangerously.  
Tionne shrugged and stepped forward. "An old friend of Callista's."  
She then rushed forth and attacked.  
Kirana Ti moved fast, leaping high over Tionne's head, boosted by the Force, and landed right beside her pile of clothes. Quickly, she fished for her lightsaber, as Tionne turned to face her.  
The two women now stood, lightsabers humming, ready to begin the battle. Kirana Ti knew that she probably looked ridiculous with no clothes on, but she doubted Tionne would give her a chance to get dressed. Kirana Ti's eyes locked with Tionne's, waiting for the first move.  
It came a second later.  
They both moved in and smashed their blades together, sending sparks flying. Tionne struck again, and Kirana defended herself. The possessed woman responded with quicker speed, sending several blows Kirana Ti's way. The women parried each other's blows and tried to bring the other down. They fought for minutes on end.  
Kirana Ti felt the Force flow through her as she fought. She was a good, strong fighter, but Tionne-or whoever she was-seemed to have practiced more with a lightsaber than she. Eventually, one of them would tire, and the other would be able to cut her down. Kirana Ti had a pretty good idea which one of them fit in the former category.  
Kirana Ti spun and slashed down toward Tionne's thigh, but she met the warrior woman's blade with her own, sneering. Her fist came a second later, sending Kirana Ti spinning to the ground. She cried out in pain and surprise, feeling blood run from her nose.  
Tionne then rushed forth and slashed her silver blade toward the woman's knees. Reacting quickly, Kirana Ti leaped over the blade and rolled, landing right behind her opponent.  
Tionne spun around and chopped the blade down toward the Jedi's head. Kirana Ti brought her saber back, deflecting the killing blow. She then threw one of her own, sweeping her lightsaber sideways toward Tionne's hip. The woman saw it coming and leaped into the air, avoiding the attack, and flipped to the ground in front of Kirana Ti.  
They crossed blades again, a sizzle of sparks erupting in their faces. Kirana Ti yelled out when Tionne knocked her weapon out of her hands.  
Kirana Ti faced her enemy, and kicked Tionne's lightsaber from her grip, leaving both women unarmed. Before Tionne could recover from the surprise, Kirana Ti came at her with a kick to the gut, connecting solidly.  
Tionne doubled over, stumbling back a few steps. Kirana Ti moved forth to finish the job, but she recovered faster than expected. Their blades intersected again, leaving them at a standstill.   
"What have you done with Tionne?" Kirana Ti demanded.   
Tionne smiled. "You don't want to know," she hissed. "But you'll find out in due time.once I'm finished eliminating the rest of your puny Jedi friends."   
Kirana Ti gnashed her teeth, trying to control her anger. She tried pressing both blades down upon her opponent's throat, but was countered by equal strength. "What do you want with Callista?" she asked.  
Tionne hesitated. "She hasn't told you?"  
Kirana Ti shook her head.  
Tionne sighed. "Oh, well. I shouldn't be surprised. I guess Callista doesn't want to remember the daughter she left behind."  
Kirana Ti gasped. "Her...daughter?" Her grip on her lightsaber loosened.  
It was all Tionne needed. She broke away from the battle and ran off into the jungle, moving with a speed Kirana Ti had never witnessed before, her laugh echoing across the Massassi Lake.  
Kirana Ti shut off her lightsaber, still numb with shock. She considered going after Tionne when she suddenly realized something.  
_ Kyp!  
_ Kyp had been with Tionne earlier. They had told Kirana Ti that they were going to take a look at the new temple Master Skywalker had discovered. Whoever had possessed Tionne's body must have did something to Kyp as well...  
She suddenly had a bad feeling about this.  
Without wasting any time, Kirana Ti threw her clothes and ran off to find Kyp.  
  
Kirana Ti entered the temple and looked around her. In a few moments, she spotted Kyp lying unconscious on the floor of the temple, blood dripping from his head and nose. She hurried over and tried to wake him.  
Kyp's eyes slowly fluttered open but didn't focus on her.  
"Come on," she said, recognizing the signs of concussion and hauling him to his feet. "I've got to get you out of here."  
You're too late.  
She turned around.  
Tionne snatched her by the throat and forced her against the temple wall, forcing her to let go of Kyp. She squeezed, choking the warrior woman, the nails almost digging into the skin. Kirana Ti gasped for air as she began raising her lightsaber, but it was knocked from her grip, controlled by the Force. It sailed across the other side of the temple, now useless.  
The blade flashed in the dim light, stabbing cleanly through her chest. Kirana Ti stared disbelievingly at the fake Tionne, then down at the silver blade that burned through her heart. She staggered back and sank to her knees. It seemed to take an eternity to hit the ground.  
Tionne nodded. "The dark side is stronger."  
The blade flashed again in a single horizontal sweep, and Kirana Ti's headless body fell sideways to the floor.  
Without sparing a glance at the body, Tionne turned to Kyp. She stared down at him, and then brought the lightsaber down through his chest, disintegrating his heart. Kyp jerked once and then lay still.  
Tionne smiled. "Excellent. Two of Skywalker's Jedi gone, and strong ones at that."  
She turned and strode from the temple on her way to the Great Temple, leaving the broken and lifeless bodies of the two Jedi behind.  
She stopped and concentrated as she approached the Great Temple. Slowly, her eyes began to revert from black back to her normal mother-of-pearl.  
She nodded in satisfaction once she had done that. She would now have a much better chance of passing undetected inside the Temple.  
She started to walk on, only to come to an abrupt halt. Inside, the real Tionne was fighting desperately to regain control of her body. The battle was short, though, and she soon strode on. Tionne, with her weak control of the Force, was no match for her.  
She walked into the clearing in front of the Temple. She would pick the Jedi off one by one. No one was likely to suspect the peaceful Jedi historian. Once she had eliminated them, she would be free to settle her score with Callista.  
  
Luke watched as the Jedi students entered the Grand Audience Chamber, ready for their morning classes. He saw Callista, Streen, Cilghal, Kam, and Dorsk 81, standing at the edge of the stage, where Luke always stood to teach.  
But where were Tionne, Kyp, and Kirana Ti?  
He knew that Kirana Ti was on one of her morning exercises, and Kyp and Tionne had gone exploring in the jungle to find the ancient temple Luke had discovered two week ago. But they knew when classes started, so why were they late?  
As everyone settled in their seats, Luke addressed the students. "Has anyone here seen Kyp, Tionne, or Kirana Ti?"  
The students mumbled amongst them, then shook their heads no.  
"Not since they left," Dorsk 81 said.  
"I can't feel them," Streen said ominously, his eyes closed, as if he was trying to sense his companions through the Force. "All I feel is a dark emptiness."  
At that moment, Tionne burst into the chamber, harried and disheveled. "Master Skywalker!" she shouted.  
Luke looked up in surprise. "Tionne? Where's Kyp?"  
"We were attacked," Tionne explained breathlessly. "A monster...when we were in the jungle. I tried to help him, but...it took him away."  
Everyone began talking at once. Luke tried to quell the Jedi down, then asked, "What kind of monster?"  
Tionne shook her head. "I don't know. One of the inhabitants of the jungle. But it was so big, and...I don't know."  
"What about Kirana Ti?" Callista asked.  
"I'm not sure. I haven't seen her," Tionne answered. "Maybe the monster took her too."  
"Okay, this is what we're going to do," Luke said to his students. "Break up into groups of five. We're going out into the jungle to find Kyp and Kirana Ti. If they're in the jungle, we'll be sure to find them. Bring your lightsabers with you. We're probably gonna need them."  
The students rose from their benches and began their mission.  
"May the Force be with you," Luke whispered as he ran over to Callista.  
  
She ran out of the chamber and watched from the shadows as the Jedi students began heading for their private quarters to get their lightsabers and provisions for the mission.  
One of them-a young Rodian male-walked past her. Making sure no one else was around, she snatched the Jedi trainee from behind and snapped his neck. Checking that the Rodian was dead, she dragged him to the refresher room and dumped him into one of the toilets.  
Quietly, she watched the Jedi through the dark shadows.  
  
Luke, Callista, Cilghal, and Dorsk 81 hurried down one of the long passageways in the Great Temple. All four had their lightsabers held ready.  
"Where did Kirana Ti go?" Luke asked.  
"I don't know, Master Skywalker," Cilghal answered. "Tionne said she and Kyp were heading out to one of the temples in the jungle, though." Callista nodded. "We'd better find her, then. She actually keeps the activity logs, so Kirana Ti might have told her where she was going. Did anyone see where she went after we left the Grand Audience Chamber?"  
Luke, Cilghal, and Dorsk 81 all shook their heads.  
"Right, we'll split up," Luke decided. "Dorsk 81 and Cilghal, check the Temple. We'll search outside. Contact us if you find Tionne."  
The two of them nodded and hurried away.  
"Come on," Luke said to Callista, but she stayed put, apparently concentrating. "What's wrong?" he asked.  
Callista blinked and shook her head. "I don't know. I thought I sensed something there for a moment, that same feeling I got earlier."  
Luke hesitated for a moment. "We have to concentrate on the here and now," he reminded her, coming to a decision.  
Callista bit her lip, and then nodded and hurried after him.  
As the two of them vanished down the corridor, she appeared at its far end. She watched them turn a corner and disappear, her eyes glittering. They had turned back into an oily black color, and she held a new lightsaber, taken from the Rodian student she had killed. She was eager to acquire a second and demonstrate her skill in fighting to Callista.  
_Sensed me, didn't you? _she thought with a sneer, gazing intently at the corner where they had been standing earlier_. Don't worry, I'll reveal myself in due time._  
  
Luke and Callista emerged from the Temple, just as an unexpected visitor appeared. A small Z-95 Headhunter circled the landing field once, and then touched down. The canopy opened, and a lithe, redheaded woman climbed out and jumped to the ground.  
"Skywalker," she said to Luke by way of greeting, and nodded to Callista. "Just here for one of my quick visits. I heard I missed all the activity with Admiral Daala."  
"You might have arrived just in time for some more," Luke said. "Kirana Ti and Kyp have gone missing, and I could always use someone else experienced with the Force."  
Mara Jade nodded, her red-gold hair glinting in the sun. "Well, things are never exactly dull with you around, Skywalker," she said dryly. "I don't suppose Corran's here?"  
Luke shook his head. "Back with the Rogues."  
Mara shrugged. "Whatever. So, what are you doing?"  
"Looking for Tionne," Callista said. "She might know where Kyp and Kirana Ti are."  
Mara nodded. "I'll come with you, then. Let's see if we can find any of them."  
  
In the shadows of the entrance to the Great Temple, she watched the three of them head out into the jungle.  
Another Force-strong enemy was a setback, but only a minor one. All she needed were some reinforcements.and she knew just where to find them.  
Igniting her lightsaber, she moved back into the jungle, heading for the ancient temple. Skywalker, Callista, and Jade could be dealt with later.  
  
Luke, Mara, and Callista met up with the other Jedi students in the jungle. Almost everyone was there-Streen, Kam Solusar, and several students. Save for one person. Tionne was gone. Luke frowned. She had never missed a meeting as serious as this. Could it be that.  
He shook his head. "Here's what we'll do," he began. "We'll all move in pairs and comb the jungle for Kyp and Kirana Ti. Streen, you're with me. Callista, go with Mara. Kam, I want you to lead the students.  
"Now, if anyone sees Kyp and Kirana Ti, report back here immediately, or contact me through the Force. They may be in need of medical help, so bring them here as soon as possible. If we don't succeed in finding them, I'll contact the New Republic for reinforcements. Understood?"  
The students cheered, anxious to get started.  
"Then let's go."  
As the group began separating, Callista gave Mara Jade a small nod. "Well, here we go."  
  
Deep in the jungle of Yavin 4, the ancient ruins remained deathly silent. No animal dared to disturb it. No runyips or woolamanders came to make their homes in it, no salmon-birds came to chirp noisily at each other, no piranha-beetles came to hunt for their prey.  
It was as if an invisible barrier, preventing anything-or anyone-from entering, surrounded the temple.  
Inside the chamber-where the mutilated bodies of the two Jedi now hung from hooks on the walls-she knelt before the ancient fountain, her eyes closed deep in thought. Words in a language long since extinct crawled out of her mouth in hushed whispers, as she called upon the spirits of the dead.  
She could feel the power seething within the walls of the temple, power that she herself now controlled. Power that no Jedi could ever hope to have. Reaching with the Force, she grasped the core of that power- shivering at the pure evil that crawled along her skin-and squeezed.  
A moan of pleasure escaped her lips.  
A clawed hand burst from the ground off to her right, grunting and roaring. Her eyes flew open, and she smiled, knowing that the spirits of the dead had heard her call. They answered only to her; only she had the power to call the spirits from their graves. She was Her greatest disciple, and when the day of the Coming arrived, she would be rewarded beyond her wildest dreams.  
She was more powerful than Skywalker.more powerful than Callista.  
"Nach nerath," she whispered, her eyes like empty, endless dark whirlpools. "Nach nerath, nach nerath, nach nerath."  
Soon, dozens of others were breaking through the ancient floor as well, released from their dark tomb, hearing her call. They were her servants; they had no choice but to obey her will.  
"SEENAHK!"  
The feline creatures-the same creatures painted on the temple ceiling- crawled from beneath the ground and stood as one, controlled by her, and the dark side of the Force. Awakened by their Master, and ready to carry out her wishes.  
Without speaking a single word, they ran off into the jungle.  
  
Callista and Mara decided to check out the Massassi Lake first.  
The two women ignited their lightsabers, then cast glances at each other. "Sometimes I wonder if us Jedi will ever stay out of trouble," Callista said with a shake of her head.  
Mara grinned her eyes focused on the jungle that lay before them. "But if there never was any trouble, then we wouldn't need the Jedi."  
"Point taken." Callista scanned the trees warily. "I just hope Kyp and Kirana Ti are all right." Callista tossed her hair back. "Let's get moving."  
They started off into the Yavin jungle, hacking away at vines and branches that barred their path. The sun was shining high overhead, casting a bright orange light over their heads. Callista could feel perspiration streaming down her forehead, but she wiped it away and continued on.  
Callista could hear the buzzing wings of a pack of piranha-beetles up ahead. She stopped Mara, all her senses on alert. As the buzzing grew louder, the two women went over and hid behind a tangle of vines, away from sight. Seconds later, a petrified woolamander burst from the bushes, squealing in terror as the piranha-beetles chased after it in hot pursuit.  
Callista watched, both amazed and frightened, as the flesh-eating insects closed in on the helpless animal, tearing it apart with their razor- sharp fangs. As they feasted, Callista and Mara slowly crept away, trying not to draw attention to themselves.  
As they moved away from the onslaught, Callista was tempted to start up a conversation with Mara. The two women had met only once-when Callista had been rescued from the _Eye of Palpatine_. But Mara seemed to prefer silence, as if she felt uneasy being around Callista.  
Callista knew about Mara's past with Luke. She had once been the Emperor's Hand, his most trusted assassin. She had been obsessed with killing Luke, blaming him for Palpatine's death. Eventually, thought, they reconciled and teamed together to defeat Thrawn and C'baoth.  
Callista wished to ask Mara so many questions about her past, but she kept to herself. She doubted Mara would be willing to share her secrets, and Callista respected that. She had a dark past of her own, one that she could barely remember, one she had not revealed to anybody. Not even to Luke...  
_ Lying in a bed, wrapped in sweat-dampened sheets.Searching, feeling deep within...and finding nothing...Fingers brushing her thigh.  
"We can try again."  
_ After another half hour of walking, they finally reached the lake. Callista moved to the shore. "I've come swimming with Kirana Ti here before. Early. Perhaps she's been here."  
The two women split up and circled the lake, checking for any signs of Kirana Ti or Kyp. Callista saw something shining in the crystal-blue water, and she bent forth to pick it up. When she realized what it was, she dropped it in shock.  
Ice.  
_ What the hell is ice doing here in a lake in the middle of a jungle?  
_ Callista looked around, a feeling of trepidation forming in her gut. The feeling she had sensed earlier came back. So familiar...and yet so evil.  
_ Mother...  
_ "Hey!"  
Callista cried out and turned around, her lightsaber held in front of her.  
Mara took a step back, holding her hands out. "Whoa, whoa, whoa...calm down. It's just me. Calm down."  
Callista sighed, visibly relaxed, and shook her head. "Sorry. I thought you were someone else."  
Mara gave her a quizzical look. Callista ignored her and looked at their surroundings. Something out there was watching them, staring at them with bloodthirsty, vengeful eyes. Watching with a feral, animal intensity that Callista could reach out and touch, like a predator watching injured prey.  
"Kirana Ti was here before," Mara said. "I can feel it."  
Callista nodded. "Look at this," she said, tossing the ice chuck to Mara. "I found it in the water."  
"Ice?" Mara glanced at her, confused. "Ice, in the middle of a jungle? It doesn't make sense."  
Callista nodded absently, and an uncomfortable silence followed afterwards. She looked out past the lake, into the jungle, feeling those same pair of invisible eyes watching her, waiting for her.  
_ Who are you?  
You know who I am.  
_ "So, I hear Skywalker and you are hitched now?" Mara said, cutting through Callista's thoughts.  
Callista recoiled in surprise, then nodded uneasily, her eyes still searching.  
Mara sighed. "He's a good man," she said, eying Callista suspiciously.  
"Yes, he is," Callista agreed. She looked up at her companion. Something about the direction this conversation was heading didn't seem right."And what about you? I heard you and Lando have something going on."  
Mara laughed. "Lando?"  
"Well, don't you?" Callista asked.  
"No," the red-haired smuggler replied coldly. The look she gave Callista was not a friendly one at all. "Luke is a good man. He has the greatest heart I have ever seen in a person. I would be extremely upset if anyone hurt him." There was no subtext behind Mara's words as she spoke. It was obvious to both of them whom she was directing those words toward.  
"I agree. That's why he's with me." The moment she spat those words out, she instantly regretted them, as she looked at the pain that flared behind Mara's eyes. She almost apologized, but her pride-and her anger at Mara's words-caused her to refrain from doing so.  
Mara immediately shielded the pain in her eyes with a sarcastic façade, the one she was normally good at. It almost worked.almost. "I'm happy for you two; really, I am. And I don't give a dewback's ass whether he's with me or you."  
"That's not what I saw a second ago," Callista said. "Come on, Mara. I may not look it, but I'm a hell of a lot older than you. I know a lie when I see one. I've seen the way you've treated Luke since I've been here, the rude remarks, the condescension. And yet, for some odd reason, it hurts you deep down when you see Luke and me together."  
"You're right, it does," Mara admitted, the first traces of anger in her voice. "Because, quite frankly, I don't know what he sees in you at all. All I see is a self-righteous, body-snatching woman."  
"How dare you!" Callista seethed. "You don't know the first thing about me, Mara! I love Luke with all my heart."  
"You certainly don't show it," she retorted. "The first few days together, all you did was bitch and moan about how you would never feel 'complete' without the Force. Excuse me while I go retch." She leaned forward into Callista's face. "By the way, I heard you got your powers back. Congratulations. I have no doubts you would have left him sooner or later otherwise."  
The fury Callista felt blossoming in her core was staggering. It was all she could do to not kill Mara where she stood. "I guess the stories about you are true. You really are cold-hearted and insensitive. It was true when you were the Emperor's servant, and it's true now. I guess some things never change."  
An infuriated sneer crossed her face. "And petty, too. Luke must be really proud."  
"I know all about your past, Mara. I know about all the innocent people you murdered in cold blood. The Emperor wanted you to kill Luke. And you almost succeeded in doing that, until Luke finally knocked some sense into you."  
Mara's face contorted with vehemence. "He ruined my life. I wanted him to pay."  
"Ruined your life? What about all the lives you ruined during Palpatine's reign? All the people who died at your hand, simply because the Emperor wished it? I was there, Mara, remember? I've seen the atrocities he committed firsthand. Tell me, do you sleep well at night? Do you still hear their screams?"  
Mara's left hand balled into a tight fist. "You really got some nerve, throwing up my past in my face like that. At least I never willingly stole someone's body like you did."  
"And you consider yourself any better?" Callista shot back.  
"So, that's what this is all about, isn't it? You just don't trust me with him?"  
"More than that. Luke saved your life, although I don't see why he bothered. Even after all he's done for you, even after he offered you a chance to redeem your past, you still can't respect him for everything he's done! You treat him like absolute dirt. And then you have the nerve to accuse me of hurting him!"  
Mara glared at her. "And you think you're perfect? Do yourself a favor, Callista, and take a good look in the mirror. You think you're such a goddess, don't you? Everyone else is beneath you. You're all knowing, all perfect, the center of the entire universe. I really hate to burst your bubble-actually, I don't, but still-but I think you're one of the most self- centered, egotistical, irritating beings I've ever encountered. And that's putting it nicely.  
"And another thing," she added vehemently, "do not bring up my past again. Ever. You know nothing of what I've been through, got that? It wasn't like killing Luke was my own choice. The Emperor had me brainwashed from the very beginning. I could do nothing about it. You don't know what it's like to have been under the control of an evil man who used you for his own purposes, who took you away from your family, never to see them again."  
"I suppose I should feel sorry for you," Callista said angrily. "Listen to yourself! All you're doing is trying to absolve yourself from your crimes." She affected an imitation of Mara's stance. "'Oh, poor me. It was all the Emperor's fault; I'm blameless'." Then, dropping the imitation, continued: "What the hell is your problem?"  
"Your face is my problem," Mara snapped. She stepped closer, her face nearly touching Callista's. "Do you think you can take me?"  
"Let's find out, shall we?" Callista said, rising up to the challenge.  
A dark, looming shape appeared behind Mara-  
"Look out!" she shouted, Force-shoving Mara aside, causing her to fall to the ground. The cat-creature sprang at Callista, aiming for her throat, only to meet the sun-yellow blade of her lightsaber. The two halves of the creature dropped to the ground, cut cleanly from crotch to nose.  
Low snarls marked the appearance of another six from the trees. Green saliva dripped from their jaws as they advanced, their eyes fixed on Callista. Mara scrambled to her feet, igniting her own lightsaber, and the two of them stood back to back as the creatures moved forward. "Come on, come on," Callista muttered. "Get what's coming to you!"  
This last she yelled, and it was like a trigger, as, in perfect tandem, each of the creatures leapt from the ground faster even than vornskrs. Callista cut apart the two on her side with a single horizontal sweep of her lightsaber, and Mara slashed the head off another. The second succeeded in knocking her lightsaber from her hand and sending her sprawling. It turned for another attack, only to collapse as Mara dumped her holdout sleeve blaster into her hand and shot it right between the eyes.   
"I never leave home without it," she said, standing up. Callista then cried out as the remaining two creatures seized her and brought her down to the ground, hissing in her ear. The creatures stared down at her with white, pupil-less eyes.   
One of them whispered in her ear, "Kara sends her best." Callista hesitated, paralyzed with shock. _Kara?_ Just then, the two monsters pounced.


	6. Secrets

Forever Home: A Luke and Callista Story  
  
Part 6  


  
She watched the small skirmish from the shadows of the jungle, a grin escaping her pale lips. Callista Skywalker and Mara Jade were more worthy adversaries than she had thought. But the cat-like creatures were strong and agile. If they failed in their mission...  
She shook her head. _They won't_, she assured herself. And even if they did lose, she had a few more tricks up her sleeve.  
She heard a twig snap from behind. She turned, hissing, and saw three Jedi students walking along a narrow trail, oblivious to the battle raging not far from their location. They were talking amongst themselves, their lightsabers in hand.  
She smiled. Time for some more fun.  
  
The creatures attacked with a ferocity that chilled Callista to Cray's very bones. She tried to deflect each blow as it came, but they were beginning to become too much. It did not help that she could not focus and channel the Force to help herself. Yet she fought on.  
Suddenly, a hiss sizzled through the air, and one of the creatures jerked, its body bending backwards before it collapsed at her feet. Callista felt blood hit her face. She cringed, but not before the other beast twisted its head to seek its predator. Obviously, there lay its final mistake. Where it should have ducked, it looked, and that hesitation was all Mara needed to fire a killing shot.  
She strode over to where Callista lay and roughly grabbed her by the hand, hoisting her up into standing position. She motioned for Callista to follow her, and they pushed through the lush Yavin jungle.  
"This blasted moon has more nasties than the Emperor's petting zoo," Mara remarked to herself sarcastically. Aside from that, she made no other attempts at conversation. Long minutes passed.  
_ Kara_? Callista thought, mouthing the name. She shook her head. _What had they meant...  
It's never anyone you expect.  
_ "I can hear your thoughts screaming like a rancor in a bad mood," Mara snapped suddenly.  
Callista drew back. "Sorry," she muttered.  
"Oh, yeah," Mara continued, "you're welcome."  
Callista bit her lip. "I...Mara."  
"Why don't you just call me 'foul, murdering wench'?" Mara suggested in a calm voice. "You've obviously already set your opinion on me. Why try to hide it behind pretty words?"  
"I haven't done anything of the sort!" Callista remarked hotly.  
"Tsk, tsk," Mara chided. "You're a Jedi Master; anger is very unbecoming."  
"I'm not angry. I'm...frustrated."  
"You're the one that jumped on me about Luke. Spare me. We are friends, if you haven't noticed." Mara paused. "Unless you have noticed-and that's what's bothering you."  
Callista made no reply.  
"Don't worry about that," Mara said in a softer voice. "He married you. He loves you." She continued to look straight ahead as she spoke. Then she snorted. "He hardly pays any attention to me when I am here, anyway. You have no solid reason to be threatened by me, unless you're challenging me to a fistfight. Then you should start worrying."  
Callista managed a weak smile. Perhaps she had jumped to conclusions. Maybe she just had too much on her mind right now..._.Kara..._?  
"Explain something for me," Mara said, breaking the silence.  
"Go on," Callista replied.  
"I was there.when we pulled you out of the wreckage of the_ Eye._ We thought you were Cray. How is it...how is it that she went in, and only you came back?"  
Callista sighed. She and Luke had talked about what they would say if her past were to come under public scrutiny. She had been Luke's first protégé, then his assistant, then his companion. The truth was simply too fantastic for anyone to believe. Luke had also thought that people would target her for taking Cray's body, so they kept that a closely guarded secret.  
But, then again, Mara had seen everything. She deserved a true explanation.  
"Cray lost Nichos a year ago. You know that," she began. "She decided she didn't want to live without him. And...the opportunity presented itself, and she decided to take it. In the process of granting her deepest wish, she granted mine as well."  
"So...you didn't kill her?"  
"What?" Callista's head whipped around to stare at Mara in surprise. "Why would you think that?"  
Mara shrugged. "Some of the students were saying."  
"They're wrong," Callista cut her off. "They're wrong."  
"How can you prove it?" Mara continued. "Did anyone see her give you that body?"  
"No," Callista said. "But-"  
"Then you're asking us to believe the word of a woman we hardly know. I knew Cray. Not well, but I knew her well enough to know that she loved life."  
"But-"  
"Let's get something straight here. I don't especially like you. I don't think that any moral person, in your position, would have done what you did. Maybe that's just me. But there are quite a few students, Cray's friends, that don't think she died willingly."  
Callista grabbed Mara by the arm, stopping her in her tracks. "You really don't believe that, do you?"  
"It's a possibility," Mara said coldly. "What gives you the right to receive another chance of life? You've already lived your life; you don't deserve-"  
"Lived my life?" Callista cut in, on the verge of screaming. "You really don't know me at all, do you?"  
Mara crossed her arms in front of her chest. "You're right, I don't. Enlighten me."  
Callista sighed. Her heart was seething. "My life ended when I was seven years old, when I held my mother's cold, lifeless body in my arms. She killed herself, because she thought I always took her for granted, pushed her out of my life. I never even had a chance to say goodbye." She felt the first sting of tears well up in her eyes, and her vision slowly grew blurry. "My family never forgave me for that. And neither did I...even when I started my Jedi training, the suffering didn't end. I lost so many friends over the years, too many to count...and you know what's even worse, Mara? I can't even remember who they are anymore! Years of entrapment on the _Eye_ have pretty much wiped out most of my memories of the past. It's like a jigsaw puzzle, with so many of the pieces lost forever."  
She looked into Mara's eyes, expecting to see scorn or anger in them. But she only saw surprise, and an understanding...even some compassion. In just a few seconds, her feelings toward the other had changed.  
"So, basically, friend, you can tell that I haven't really had much of a life at all. That it's all been one big nightmare for me. And that doesn't even include the Jedi purges, or the _Eye of Palpatine_, or when I lost. So call me crazy, but I wanted another go. And I got a chance." She paused, as a memory as clear as day flashed in her mind's eye:  
_ Holding her small, naked body in her arms, feeling the smooth warmth of her flesh, smiling as she looked into her beautiful gray eyes, so much like her mother's.  
_ "That still doesn't change what happened with you and Cray," Mara pointed out, in a much less hostile voice than before. "Or the fact that many of the trainees here still don't trust you."  
"They won't trust me, one of their own, but they trust you, the Emperor's Hand?" She glared at Mara. "If there's anyone they shouldn't trust, it should be you. I don't judge people by the sins of their fathers, but what you did for your Master is enough for me to not hold you in high esteem, either. You killed Jedi, and then suddenly decided you wanted to be one? Half the time, you can't even decide if you want that. Mara, you represent everything I fought against thirty years ago. The atrocities the Emperor committed." She paused, taking a breath. "Children died in my arms because of him."  
Mara sighed. "I'm sorry about that, Callista. I really am. I had no idea." She looked away for a moment, and Callista could see the faintest sheen of tears in her emerald-green eyes. "I'm just worried that Luke will get hurt."  
"I love Luke more than anything," Callista said fiercely. "He's the reason why I want to keep on living. Whenever I'm in his arms, everything seems right with the galaxy, even it if it lasts for only a few minutes. I would never, ever hurt him. You have my word on that."  
Mara finally looked back at her. "The thing is, I actually kinda believe you now."  
"I still completely don't trust you, though," Callista replied softly.  
"It's understandable," Mara answered with a shrug. "You don't know me. I don't know you. I don't trust you fully, either. But Luke trusts us both, so go on that. And he trusted me to work with you. I doubt that he would have dared to part with his new bride if he had any reservations that I might just murder you and dump your body into a lake." Realizing how cold- hearted she was beginning to sound, Mara laughed quietly to herself and changed her tone to a more neutral tone. "Remember, we're working together to achieve the final goal. Don't let your anger and your prejudices cloud your judgment and your actions." They started off again, cutting through into a small clearing. "From Skywalker, that much I learned, at least."  
Mara gritted her teeth. "I am not proud of what I did for the Emperor, but it's in the past. This is who I am now. I'm one of the Jedi, who my Master once fought to destroy. Now, I would not do anything to harm them. In fact, the opposite."  
Callista nodded. "And I the same. Whatever I may have done in the past, you have to trust me that I will never betray the Jedi, or kill one of them. All I can give you is my word. You and I don't have to be best friends, but as long as we have to work together, we should at the very least be able to trust each other. Let's at least settle on that for now." She held out her hand. "I give you my word as a Jedi that I will not stab you in the back."  
Mara looked at her hand for a moment, and then gripped it. "And I the same," she said, fixing Callista with her icy green stare. "For now. We're not finished, you and I."   
Callista nodded. "Agreed." Then there was movement a little bit beyond them. Mara stiffened. Callista turned, and they stood back-to-back, weapons drawn and on the offensive.   
"Sithspawn," Mara cursed, "can we go a few minutes without having to fight? This is getting obnoxious."  
  
"Do you think Kyp and Kirana Ti might be dead?" Rama asked as he walked alongside his companions. "I mean, if Master Skywalker can't sense them through the Force..."   
"Don't think that, Rama," replied Chir'aka, a female blue-skinned Twi'lek who slashed a vine that blocked their path. "We'll find them. Don't you worry about that."  
"We should be near the Massassi Lake now," said Mormer, the only human in the trio. "This is where Kirana Ti usually hangs out in the morning."  
"I'm sure that if anything happened to her, she can take care of herself," Rama said, not entirely convinced.  
Something stepped out of the bushes, startling the three students. The students gasped and stepped back, readying their lightsabers. Rama sighed when he realized it was just Tionne. "Tionne," he sighed. "You scared us."  
"Fear leads to the dark side of the Force," Tionne said, a faraway look in her eyes. "Best you remember that, Rama."  
The Dug nodded uneasily. He didn't know how to explain it, but something didn't feel right.  
"Have you found Kyp yet?" Tionne asked.  
Chir'aka shook her head. "So far, nothing. Not a single trace. We were heading for the lake, hoping that Kirana Ti-"  
"She's not there," the silver-haired woman interrupted. "I was just over there."  
"Oh." The Twi'lek hesitated. "Then I guess we'll have to look someplace else."  
"I'll come with you," Tionne offered, withdrawing her lightsaber. A feral grin spread across her face. "The jungle can be a very dangerous place for young Jedi."  
Rama felt a shiver rush up his spine at those words. Just in case, he kept his lightsaber out.  
The group set off.  
She watched as the three young students led the way through the jungle, cutting through the thick outcropping. She smiled as she walked up behind Mormer, careful not to draw attention to herself. This one will be the first to go... As they stepped over an enormous log, she wrapped her arm around the human's neck, choking him. At the same time, she plunged her lightsaber through his back, slicing his spinal cord in half and cutting through his chest. Mormer uttered a single groan of pain, and then the life went out of his eyes.  
Chir'aka and Rama spun around, stunned, and she kicked the corpse to the ground. She then turned to the other two Jedi. "Next!" she shouted, leaping over the log.  
Chir'aka screamed in anger and terror and charged toward her, brandishing her saber. She merely smiled as blue lightning poured from her fingers, striking full- force into the young Twi'lek. Chir'aka shrieked in agony as the fire melted into her flesh, burning her entire body.  
Within seconds, she had been reduced to a skeletal corpse.  
She laughed. "What did I tell you fear, you little fool?" She then looked up at Rama, the last survivor. "Care to give it your best shot?" Rama stepped away, his body stricken with terror, as she advanced toward him...  
  
Mara and Callista heard the scream half a mile away. "What the hell was that?" Mara said, looking out into the jungle.  
"I don't know," Callista said, feeling her throat tighten. "But I'm gonna find out." She began running through the dense forest, her lightsaber cutting through any barrier that stood before her. Mara followed suit.  
Within seconds, they arrived at where the scream had originated. Callista was completely unprepared for the sight that greeted her.  
Three corpses of Jedi trainees lay strewn on the ground like discarded trash, smoke rising from their lifeless bodies. She recognized one of them as Rama, his body lying in two neat pieces, as if something sharp had cut him in half.  
A lightsaber...  
"In the name of Chad," Callista whispered, one hand going up to her mouth.  
Mara looked away from the onslaught, a look of shock and disgust on her face. "Whoever did this sure has a really sick sense of humor."  
"I think I know who it was," Callista said, taking several deep breaths to calm down.  
Mara turned to her. "Who?"  
"I can't tell you right now," Callista said, avoiding Mara's green- eyed stare. "But we've gotta find Luke."  
"What for?" Mara asked. "It's gonna take a while to find him in this kriffing jungle."  
"You got any better ideas?" Callista snapped.  
"Yeah, I do. I say we find whoever is doing this and kick the living bantha fodder out of them."  
"Are you crazy?" Callista said, glaring at the other woman. "This person managed to kill three people-maybe even Kyp and Kirana Ti. If we try to fight them, it will only get us killed."  
Mara sighed and kicked at the dirt. "Callista, dear, this is going to be a very long day for us."  
Callista managed a small smile. "Tell me about it."  
  
Luke walked silently through the jungle, hoping against hope that everyone was still all right. Streen walked tensely at his side, his eyes darting nervously back and forth.  
As they passed the placid crystal lake Kirana Ti often frequented, Luke frowned at the chunks of ice floating in it, like a behemoth glass of ice tea. Even more unusual were the bodies strewn on the ground-from the looks of it, they were vaguely feline, of a species he had never seen before.  
Luke knelt by the nearest one, his fingers poking at the wound in its throat. A large hole had been blown through its brown-furred flesh, suggesting a lightsaber or a blaster. It was still smoking, which meant that the creature had been recently killed.  
He then heard a jarring sound-not far away.  
The sound of evil laughing.  
Accompanied by a terrifying chill in the Force, as if someone had tossed him into the lake at his left.  
"Master, did you-"  
"I did, Streen. Come on!"  
They took off through the jungle.  
The temple was the one Luke and Callista had discovered merely two weeks ago. He had never felt the dark side emanate from someplace so strongly. Not even Palpatine's sanctum on the Death Star. It was a mere second.  
He entered cautiously, pulling out his lightsaber but not igniting it. Streen remained outside, standing guard in the chance that whoever it was should return. The meager light spilling through the holes in the ruined ceiling manifested strange, feline hieroglyphics along the wall and floor.  
A floor bathed in human blood.  
His breath growing shallower, he followed the trail of red liquid behind a pillar.  
And what he saw nearly knocked him over.  
Hanging by their necks from sharp, rusted hooks, were the desecrated bodies of Kyp Durron and Kirana Ti.  
A cry must have erupted from his lips, because Streen barreled into the temple, lightsaber drawn. "Master, what is it?" He then saw what Luke had found, and he staggered back in disbelief. "No...no!"  
"Yes!" came a new voice. Streen turned upon the woman standing in the shadows behind him, only to come in direct contact with her lightsaber. Streen's decapitated head rolled to Luke's feet. His face had frozen in shock and horror.  
His killer emerged from the shadows.  
"Tionne!"  
"There is no Tionne here. Only Kara."  
Luke frowned. "Who?" He brought his lightsaber up closer, ready to draw it at a split second's notice.  
Tionne's face radiated a smug smirk. "Go ask your dear wife. You know her as Callista. But to me, she will always be Mother. Or, rather, she would if she hadn't abandoned me."  
The remark was punctuated with another evil chuckle.  
"You're lying. Callista would have told me-"  
"If she cared! As it is, she doesn't care about her own daughter! Or her dear husband-her real husband. If she had, she wouldn't have killed him!"  
"Geith." Luke understood. Callista had had a child with Geith before they'd perished in the Moonflower Nebula.  
Did she really not care?  
Or was Kara just another of the memories that had escaped her dwindling spirit?  
She saw his hesitation, and lunged. Luke barely managed to activate his own lightsaber before she was upon him. "It's her time to join her family! She doesn't belong here!"  
Luke blocked a second round of lightsaber attacks. "She's part of our family, now, Kara. It's not yet her time!"  
"You fool! You've taunted the Force! You must pay!"  
She attacked again, and he could not stop her.  
_  
Luke will die...  
_ "Luke?" Callista whirled, swearing she had heard him. She stretched out with her mind, focusing on his presence in the new temple.  
"Mara! Luke's in trouble! Come on!"  
  
Kara attacked again and again, overpowering Luke until she had succeeded in knocking him to the ground. She chuckled and kicked his living weapon away, then planted a foot on his chest.  
"You seem to have lost, Master Skywalker." She raised her lightsaber in preparation to decapitate him.  
"Kara!"  
Kara spun. Callista and Mara stood in the doorway, bathed in the sunlight.  
"Your fight is with me, Kara," Callista said as she walked closer. "Come to Mama."  
  
Callista entered the ancient temple, her lightsaber in hand. Mara ran past her to help Luke, who was still lying on the floor, literally shaking with fear.  
That left her alone with Kara.  
Her daughter.  
Callista could do nothing but look into the face of Luke's attacker. Her true face was hidden behind the mask that had been Tionne's face. Her eyes were no longer the serene mother-of-pearl of the Jedi historian's, but a pair of black pits that glared at Callista through the mask.  
Still, despite the horrific disguise, Callista knew that this woman was her daughter. She could feel it in her gut, through the fabric of the Force. The daughter of Callista Nogati and Geith Jiséo. The daughter she thought had died so many years ago, mere days after her birth, when the Empire had taken her away.  
"Kara." she said, a hushed whisper. "You're alive...I can't believe it."  
"You seem surprised to see me, _Mother_," Kara hissed, a sneer forming on her lips. "You shouldn't. I was going to find you sooner or later."  
"It was you in my nightmares," Callista accused, pointing a finger toward the demonic woman. "You tried to make me think it was my mother doing this the whole time."  
"Oh, yes. Didn't work, obviously." Kara laughed.  
"How did you..." Callista choked on her words and tears. She lowered her lightsaber and stepped closer to Kara, one hand instinctively going up to touch her daughter's cheek. "What happened, Kara? I thought you had died. They took you away from me...I don't understand."  
Kara slapped Callista's hand away, her eyes seething with rage. "It's a long story, Mother. One that unfortunately will not be told, for I plan to kill you before the day is out."  
"I don't want to fight you, Kara," Callista said gently, shutting off her weapon. "I am still your mother, and I still love you."  
"You do?" It almost sounded sincere. "Even after you abandoned me?"  
"I thought you were dead!" Callista shouted back, tears falling down her cheeks. "Please, Kara, if I had known otherwise, I never would have left you. The _Eye of Palpatine,_ it had to be destroyed-"  
"Is that all you care about?" Kara snapped furiously. "Saving the lives of millions of people you have never met--and never will? More important than your own daughter?"  
Before Callista could reply, Kara's hand was already thrust out, calling upon the Force. Callista cried out as she was thrown back through the air and onto the ground. Pain shot through her entire body, and for a moment, she feared the impact had left her paralyzed.  
When she got up, Kara was gone.  
Luke and Mara ran up to her. "Callista, is it true?" Luke asked, confusion and shock evident in his eyes. "Is Kara your-"  
"Yes," Callista said hoarsely, the tears falling fast now. "Kara is my daughter."  
  
Kara sprinted out of the ancient temple and into the jungle. She ran for what seemed like hours until she reached the Massassi Lake, where the corpses of her feline warriors remained smoking on the ground. She pressed her back against a large rock and sank to her knees, tears running down her cheeks.  
She shut her eyes, trying to shut out what had just happened in the temple. Her mother's voice wafted in her mind, the words she had spoken:  
_ They took you away from me.  
I thought you were dead...if I had known otherwise, I never would have left you.  
Bitch! _Kara's mind screamed furiously, banging her head back against the rock. The pain that followed helped clear her mind, bring her back to the here and now, as her Master had long ago instructed her. _You lying bitch! You never loved me. Palpatine said so._  
Kara had no childhood memories of her parents. She had spent most of her young years wandering the streets of Ord Mantell, with no home to go to, no family to love. She had done whatever it took to survive...even if it meant robbing and killing others for food and money.  
A kindly old couple had eventually taken her in when she had turned twelve. They did their best to provide for her, but Kara had been an angry, troubled adolescent. She had run away from home more than once, and eventually stowed away on an Imperial merchant ship heading for Coruscant. It was there that Emperor Palpatine entered her life, and her destiny took on a new direction.  
Palpatine told her the truth of her parents, that they had abandoned her shortly after her birth. Her father, Geith, had wanted to go back for her, but Callista had flatly refused, insisting that the child was better off without them, that they had a mission to accomplish. He told her of Geith's murder on the _Eye of Palpatine _at the hands of Callista, and how Palpatine's warriors had eventually defeated her, trapping her within the computer core of the _Eye_. This had devastated the young seventeen-year-old, who angrily vowed to avenge her father's death, by finding the woman who had murdered him and left her daughter to die alone in the streets of Ord Mantell.  
Under the tutelage of Palpatine and Darth Vader, Kara learned for the first time that she was Force-sensitive, and he began teaching her the ways of the dark side. As the years passed, she became one of the Emperor's most powerful students, and she developed a close relationship with Vader. The two apprentices found that they had much in common; like Kara, Vader had had a turbulent life, which included the murder of his mother, the turning point in his life. Like Kara, he had never known his true father, and he had left his mother at a very early age. The two forged a strong bond, one that continued well into the early beginnings of the Rebel Alliance.  
On one mission, just after the Rebels had stolen the plans for the original Death Star, Kara met up with a young man who came from a distant planet few in the galaxy had ever heard of. The man, who claimed to be a priest of an ancient sect that dated back to pre-history, offered Kara a chance to come with him to his home planet, located deep in the Unknown Regions. For some inexplicable reason, Kara had readily agreed to accompany him. It would not be until years later that she realized that she had heard of this strange cult before, as a child in the attic of her foster parents' home on Ord Mantell.   
Kara growled as she snapped out of her thoughts. She stood and headed back into the jungle. Now was not the time to let her personal feelings get in the way of her mission. Callista had to pay for her crimes. She and Skywalker both had to die. She strode through the jungle, not stopping until she reached the Great Temple. When she arrived, she saw her feline henchmen surrounding a group of Jedi trainees. All the Jedi were disarmed and bleeding from various injuries inflicted by the cat-like creatures.  
The cat leader, Shakra, stepped forth and bowed. "The Jedi temple is now ours."  
Kara nodded. "Good. Lock up all the Jedi in the detention cells. We'll wait for Skywalker and Mother to return. And when they do, we'll slaughter them all."  
Shakra nodded, and he led the Jedi away.  
Kara turned back to the jungle and smiled. "Come on, Mother," she whispered. "You don't have much time now. I'll be waiting for you."  
  
"Geith was her father," Callista confessed, refusing to meet Luke's demanding eyes. "It was months before I died on the _Eye of Palpatine_. The Jedi were dwindling so fast...in some kind of desperate attempt of saving ourselves, they told us to have children. I didn't want to at first, but Geith talked me into it. Soon after that, I found out I was pregnant."  
She hesitated, wiping tears from her eyes. Mara placed a calming hand on her shoulder, silently urging her to continue.  
"Djinn promised that Geith and I would train her ourselves. The months passed, and once-right before she was born-we found out that there was an attack planned on Belsavis. We went to warn them, but before I could....I went into labor."  
"What happened?" Luke asked.  
"Geith was there by my side the whole time. It was the most excruciating experience I'd ever known...I had to use the Force to stretch my bones to let her out. But the moment she entered the world, I felt peace. I felt safe. Life felt completely different, like suddenly it had a purpose."  
Callista sniffed, unable to control her raging emotions. She finally let it all out. "But then we were attacked. Imperials came and attacked Belsavis. I'd hidden her in a closet to keep her safe, but when I went back to get her, and she was gone. Dozens were killed, and the building collapsed, with Kara inside.  
"I looked everywhere for her, day and night, not resting, not eating, nothing but looking for my baby. But I never found her."  
She sighed, brushing aside more tears. "Finally I came to terms with the fact that Kara was gone forever. Soon after, Geith left too, to figure things out. He was as traumatized as I was. It tore something away from me forever...something I'll never recover from. All that was left in me was...emptiness."  
"You didn't care whether you lived or died at that point," Mara said. It was not a question.  
Callista nodded. "Yes. You're right. Geith came back a few weeks later and told me about the ship in the Moonflower Nebula. When we arrived on the _Eye of Palpatine_, I was determined to put an end to this threat once and for all. I didn't care if I lived or died; my only wish was to cause the Imperials as much suffering as they did me.  
"And I got my wish."  
The chamber remained silent for a long time.  
Callista looked up at her husband and said, "Please forgive me, Luke."  
Luke, however, was unwilling to accept it. "Why didn't you tell me before?" he demanded. "You never kept secrets from me before. Why now?"  
"It was the past, Luke, dead and buried. I thought," she replied.  
"But look at what's happened!" Luke said, near-shouting. "I can imagine how horrible it must have been for you to carry such a burden on your shoulders for so long, but why couldn't you have shared it with me?"  
"It wasn't any of your business," Callista said sternly. No anger was in her voice. It was the truth. Luke had no reason to know about it.  
"It is now," Luke shot back. "We're married, remember? Three of my students are now dead, thanks to your daughter! And you want to know why? Because she had no one! No one to care for her. No one to guide her. No one to teach her right from wrong. No one to love her!"  
Callista drew her knees to her chest, wrapping them tightly around herself, and muttering something under her breath.  
Luke said.  
"They were looking for you!" Callista cried, almost shouting, with such intensity that Luke stepped back in shock. "When they attacked Belsavis, they thought that you were there, and mistook Kara for you or Leia. That's why they took her. Then, when they realized she wasn't the one, they probably left her to die in some street." Luke's face reddened at the rebuke. He looked away.  
"Hey, farmboy, cut her some slack," Mara added. "Callista had nothing to do with her daughter's actions! She didn't even know Kara was still alive! And I seem to recall a certain Jedi Master whose father had once been a Sith Lord and committed some pretty unspeakable crimes as well."  
His eyes met Callista's, anger and accusation replaced with compassion and sorrow. "Callista, I'm sorry," he said softly. "I don't know what came over me. I just-"  
"Okay, I hate to break this up," Mara interrupted, "but in case you guys forgot, there's a psycho out in the jungle who's probably up to no good. What are we going to do about it?"  
"I'll think of something," Luke said, looking around the temple. "These ruins are infested with the dark side. It's the focus of Kara's power, much like Exar Kun's connection to the Massassi temples. The key to defeating her lies somewhere within this temple."  
"Well, we'll leave that to you," Mara said. "Me and Callista will head back to the Academy to warn everyone else." She began heading out the door.  
Callista quickly ran after Mara. She gave Luke one little wave before disappearing into the jungle.  
Luke, now alone, looked over at the bodies of Kyp, Kirana Ti, and Streen. "My friends," he whispered. "I will avenge you. I promise."  
  
A daughter.  
Luke could still scarcely believe how his life had just been turned upside-down in the last few minutes. The revelation rocked him to the core- jealousy, anger, resentment...As much as he hated to admit it, he felt them stirring in his blood even as he looked at her and knew the anguish she must have felt.  
Another man had touched her. It was yet another link to a life she'd lived long, long ago, something completely separate from the present, something he couldn't even begin to understand. But he couldn't think of his hurt now. She was out there somewhere, and she was going to pounce again soon.  
A thick silence blanketed them all around, broken only by the cries of animals in the distance.  
He yelled. I know you're here!  
"You're no fun to hide from," a voice suddenly ripped out into the stillness.  
Luke pivoted behind him and saw Kara, hair in wild tangles, eyes glinting with evil glee.  
"Nice to see you again," she said, stepping forward just a bit closer. "And what do I call you? You're certainly not my father...Mother took care of him, didn't she? You'd better watch out, Jedi. Her bedfellows always seem to end up dead."  
Luke shouted, moving forth to slash Kara. His lightsaber flared to life like a bolt of lightning, cutting into the demon's midsection-  
And disappeared as if it had never been.  
A vision. It had been a vision.  
Luke shuddered at what he had seen in the dreamscape. Kara needed to be defeated-and fast.  
And the key to beating her was somewhere in the temple.  
As Luke headed up the stairs, he hoped that if Callista had run into Kara, she would be all right.  
  
"Kara, it does not have to end like this," Callista said, her lightsaber inches from her daughter's chest.  
Mara stood next to her, her Jedi weapon out as well.  
Kara smiled and laughed. "It's too late to change the past, dear Mother. What's happened is done, and there's nothing you can do about it."  
Callista gulped, a shiver of terror rushing through her blood. "Kara, please-"  
"Enough!" her daughter snapped, her oily-black eyes searing with hate. "I've wasted enough time as it is. Goodbye, Mother."  
Callista's vision began to lose focus. The world around her spun and twisted into different, unrecognizable shapes. She staggered back, one hand going up to her forehead. What in the Force was going on-?  
Seconds passed before her surroundings returned to normal. Callista straightened, relearning how to breathe. She looked in front of her and saw that Kara had disappeared.  
Callista turned to Mara to see if the same thing had happened to her-  
And cried out as someone kicked her hard in the face.  
The nerves in her mouth screamed in pain as the blow connected with her chin. Her vision became unfocused again, fuzzy, as she fell down to one knee. An eternity seemed to pass in the space of a few seconds.  
She looked up weakly, her entire mouth numb, and saw Kara looming over her, standing where Mara had been seconds earlier. The female ex- smuggler was nowhere to be seen.  
What had Kara done to her?  
Callista did not have time to ask that question, as her daughter brought out her lightsaber and thumbed the switch. An electric sky-blue blade hissed to life, sounding like a swarm of deadly, humming insects. Her daughter glared down at her as she began bringing the blade down-  
Almost immediately, Callista raised her own weapon. The two met somewhere in the middle, crackling as they made contact. Kara grunted as she drew back and struck down a second time. Her speed was incredible; were it not for Callista's reflexes, her head would have been lopped off.  
As it was, Callista was able to deflect the second attack. She pushed back with her blade, knocking her opponent back a few steps. She rose to both feet, the numbness in her mouth beginning to wear out, replaced with a fresh rush of pain. Her chin was torn and bleeding, a thin red stream running down her throat.  
Callista ignored it and surged toward her daughter, disarming her quickly with a quick slap of her hand. It was unexpected, and Kara staggered back even further.  
With her enemy weaponless, Callista now had the advantage. But she did not wish to kill her daughter; despite everything she had done, she was still Callista's child. Deep down, Callista could still see the bright, beautiful girl she had held in her arms in the few short hours they had had together before the _Eye of Palpatine._ The dark side had consumed her, but she could still renounce it, could still regain some of the goodness she had lost.  
But Callista was not naïve. She knew that Kara meant to kill her when she was given the perfect opportunity. No, she did not want to murder her daughter...but that did not mean she wasn't willing to fight.  
On the contrary, she planned to give Kara a fight she would never forget.  
Seconds after she had knocked the lightsaber from her hands, Callista landed a hard punch to Kara's jaw, catching her off guard. The second blow hit her square in the chest, causing her to stumble. Callista directed the Force at her chest, nearly tearing her off her feet. Her daughter was sent reeling back a few steps, attempting to regain her balance and her breathing, one hand going up to her bruised ribs.  
In her mind, Callista could hear the numbered moves she had learned on the _Chu'unthor_, the many different combinations she could create.and the blond boy's face again, his name she had long forgotten-  
Callista charged forward, giving Kara little time to recover. She swung an arc toward her daughter's left thigh, intending to incapacitate her, not completely sever it. But Kara had called her weapon back into her hands, and blocked it, sending sparks flying toward the ground.  
Callista spun and sent a slash toward Kara's side, this time aiming for her hip, but the blow was effortlessly deflected away. Another spin, another slash, and another parry. What Kara didn't realize until it was too late was that the third attack had been a mere feint. Even as she blocked the topaz blade with her own, Callista brought her free hand across Kara's face in a powerful backhand. A thin spurt of blood left her nose as her head twisted sideways, fanned by her long silver hair. She turned back and snapped the laser blade down in an uppercut toward Callista's jaw, intending to slice it off.   
She counterattacked with equal strength and punched Kara full in the gut-Three!-and followed with a hammer blow to the head with her saber's hilt, dropping her onto her stomach-Four! A pained moan escaped Kara's mouth as she rose to her knees, blood oozing from a wound on the side of her head, encircled by a massive black bruise. She looked up at her mother, the hate in her eyes intensifying, like two endless black holes. Her lightsaber still in her hands, she slashed the blue blade toward Callista's legs in an attempt to slice them off. Callista anticipated it and leaped high over the blade, performing a flip that landed her behind Kara.   
Kara scrambled to her feet and faced Callista, her fighting stance mirroring her mother's. For a brief moment, they remained still, as if engaged in a silent conversation. The faintest sparkle of uncertainty glimmered in Kara's eyes as she locked gazes with Callista, and for a moment, she hoped that her daughter would stop fighting and reason with her- The hope was shattered seconds later, when Kara charged toward her mother, letting out an infuriated howl. The two blades clashed again twice, with Kara first aiming for Callista's chest, and then for her forearm. Callista blocked both blows and aimed a swing for Kara's head.   
_No! You don't want to kill her_! Callista faltered, giving Kara just enough time to duck the blow. She spun until she was standing behind Callista, and kicked her in the small of her back. Callista cried out as she felt her daughter's high-heeled boot connect squarely with her spine, and she was knocked forward. She used her hands and knees to soften the impact to the ground and began to get back up-  
When she suddenly felt Kara's fingers latch around her throat, choking off her air supply. Callista gagged as she strained for air. Her hand reached out toward her lightsaber, but Kara kicked her out of her reach, sneering as she did so. She tightened her grip, and Callista saw stars explode across her vision. Her thoughts spinning, Callista reached out with one hand. She gripped the hand choking her and dug her nails into the soft, pale flesh, hard enough to leave small, half-crescent marks that oozed blood. Kara screamed, and she lost her grip on Callista. Her mother drew back, regaining her breath, and struck Kara with the Force, knocking her clean off her feet. The young woman rolled across the ground until she hit the wall of the Great Temple, letting out a pained gasp as the air left her body. Callista rolled to her feet and grabbed her lightsaber, rushing over to finish the job. Kara saw her coming, and waited until her opponent was upon her. She then kicked out, striking Callista just behind the heel of her right foot. The blow was hard enough that her feet left the ground, and Callista fell, the back of her head hitting a large rock half-buried in the ground.   
For a few precious seconds, Callista could not move. Her vision was just one large, white explosion of pain. She blacked out, and when she could see again, Kara was standing over her, preparing to deliver the killing blow. Trying to see through the haze of pain, Callista reached with one hand and snatched her lightsaber, which was still activated. She brought it up just in time, parrying Kara's blow, which would have cleaved her head in two had it connected. The two locked eyes on each other for a few seconds as the blades intertwined between them. Callista pushed forth with all her might, sending Kara teetering off balance. She was unable to regain it in time, and ended up on her back, her lightsaber still clutched in her right hand. She was up almost immediately, her lightsaber held in front of her in a defensive stance. Callista charged her, enveloping her daughter in a full-body tackle that knocked them both off their feet and into the temple wall. The wall, which had been weakened during the Imperial attack by scout walkers, crumbled upon impact, sending the two combatants through the ancient stone and into the hangar bay. Debris rained all around them and pelted them both as they hit the floor in a tangle of limbs.   
Callista rolled away, her entire body a burning, quivering mass of pain. Bruises and cuts discolored her arms and face, and she could feel a warm wetness seeping through her hair. She felt at the back of her head with one hand, and it came away smeared with blood. Whether it had been from hitting the rock or going through the wall, she wasn't exactly sure. It didn't matter; either way, she would be feeling extremely sore come morning, if she survived this fight. She got back to her feet, slowed by pain and nausea, and turned to face Kara. Her daughter had fared well from the impact, either. As she stood, she clutched her left arm, her face contorted with pain. They faced each other again, separated by a large gap of space, bathed in the sunlight streaming through the newly made hole. Both faces showed pain and uneasiness, neither willing to continue the fight. Callista took a few steps toward her daughter, wincing as a twinge ran through her leg. She opened her mouth to speak to Kara, to reason with her. She no longer wanted to fight- But the hatred that Kara had been carrying for over thirty years easily won out. As Callista dropped her guard, she spun, catching her mother in a backhand with a closed fist that connected with her jaw, causing her to bite her tongue.   
The blow hurt, and Callista almost fell. At the last moment, she was able to clear her mind and regain her footing. From the corner of her eye, she saw Kara strike another blow, this time with her lightsaber. Callista spun back and parried the blow, producing a loud sizzle that echoed in the hangar bay. The two stared at each other across the blades again, their eyes showing more emotion than all the words in the galaxy could convey: one full of hate and a burning desire for revenge, the other full of love and regret, as well as a desire to end this conflict and bring mother and daughter together again. Kara's face was livid with pure loathing as she punched Callista in the gut, leaving her breathless. She topped it with another blow to the face, dropping the Jedi to her hands and knees.   
Callista felt dizziness and nausea dance across her vision, bordering on unconsciousness. The pain in her stomach was so great that she almost threw up. She closed her eyes and let the Force flow through her, washing away the pain that raged in her body. She felt it and the nausea leave her like a disease, and she looked up to see Kara coming at her again. Wasting not a breath, she brought her foot back and into her daughter's stomach, hitting her with enough force to knock her back several steps and into the wall. Kara cried out as she fell to her knees, her eyes bulging, a groan of pain escaping her lips. Callista leaped to her feet, determined to put an end to this fight the quickest way possible.   
Kara responded likewise, and focused on a large boulder that had been blown off the wall in the Imperial battle. Within seconds, it was floating in the air, controlled by the Force. With a push of her mind, she sent it hurtling toward Callista. Callista uttered a silent curse and rolled out of the way, barely in time to avoid being crushed. The boulder passed her, missing her by a hairsbreadth. It hit the opposite wall with enough force to crack the ancient stone, creating a loud rumble that resounded through the chamber. Within seconds, mother and daughter were at each other's throats again.


	7. Forever Home

Forever Home: A Luke and Callista Story  
  
Part 7  


  
Luke entered the highest room in the ancient temple. Unlike the main hall, which had exuded a majestic, ancient civilization dating back untold centuries, this room was small, cramped, and empty. A large window provided a view of the jungle horizon, but that was it. And yet...Luke could sense that the answer to defeating Kara lay in this room. He just didn't know what. He closed the door behind him and paced in the small room, the sun's heat beating down on him through the tall window. He stretched out with the Force, clearing his mind of questions, as Obi-Wan and Yoda had taught him. His mind probed every corner, every crack of the ancient temple, searching, searching. He could not quite pinpoint it, but something about the temple put him at unease. It was as if the walls themselves were trying to speak to him. Luke closed his eyes as he went over to the nearest wall, his fingers lightly touching the centuries-old limestone. He opened himself to the Force, reaching-   
Suddenly, a storm of emotions hit him all at once, causing him to stagger: fear, terror, anger, betrayal. The Force emanated from the wall, sending goosebumps all over his skin. In his mind's eye, he saw images, faces. Kyp. Kirana Ti. Streen. He could see all three of them, their souls, their essences, burning within the walls of the temple, screaming in agony and fear. And at that moment, he realized what had happened to them.   
Kara hadn't killed them. She had taken their spirits away from their bodies, and placed them within the temple itself. It made perfect sense.   
Exar Kun had kept his spirit alive for over four thousand years, trapped within the walls of the Great Temple. The same thing had happened here with Kyp, Kirana Ti, and Streen. Only this time, it wasn't by choice. He could feel their terror, could taste it on the tip of his tongue, their fear of being trapped within this temple forever, with no way of ever getting out. Luke was filled with a new sense of hope, accompanied by a small dose of dread. There had to be some way to free their spirits from the temple walls. The question was, how? Luke stood in the center of the room, reaching out with his mind. With invisible fingers, he touched each of the three spirits, reassuring them that everything would be all right. He held onto them tightly, never letting go. Then, with a small groan, he began to pull. It seemed to work. He could feel their spirits being slowly driven out of the temple walls, and back into their bodies, could feel the hope of his three students are they were freed from their ethereal prison-   
His concentration was broken when a shadow appeared from behind him. The Jedi Master turned around, and Kara tackled into him. The two ended up on the ground, with Kara on top of him, her fingers grasping him by the throat, squeezing. "You Jedi are beginning to become very bothersome," she said, her eyes blazing.   
Luke gave her a confident grin, and his fist hit her in the jaw, knocking her off him. "It's over, Kara. I know the key to defeating you."   
Kara scrambled to her feet, not looking the least bit intimidated. "Well then, I guess I can't allow you to leave this temple alive." With that, she sent blue rain of fire toward Luke.  
  
Kara shrieked as she slashed her lightsaber toward Callista's head, and growled in frustration when she dodged the attack. They clashed blades again, over and over. The minutes melted away as they continued the fight in the Great Temple's hangar, the hissing of the blades as they made contact the only sound uttered by the two combatants. Callista fought on, but her muscles began to grow slow and weary. She was a good fighter, and in excellent physical condition, but this fight and her wounds were beginning to take their toll on her. Her blows grew sloppier; her focus began to lose its edge. Likewise, Kara began to lose some of her finesse as well, resorting to brute strength as her energy left her. Callista quickly looked for a way to end this fight before one of them ended up dying. She found an opening, and ducked beneath another slash. She dropped to one knee and hammered her hilt into Kara's stomach, drawing the wind out of her. She doubled over in pain, and Callista rose to her feet, moving behind her opponent. Calling upon the Force, she struck Kara squarely in the back, knocking her forward against the Shapeshifter's closed ramp. The young woman almost fell to her knees, but somehow steadied herself, and turned to face her opponent, her eyes burning behind the mask that had been Tionne's face. Callista dropped her with a swift roundkick to the face.  
  
Luke rolled aside as the lightning bolts burned a hole through the stone wall, sending debris and dust flying in all directions. Luke had managed to avoid the blast-just barely, though. Kara didn't even give him a chance to fight. As Luke got up, Kara went over to him and raked her nails across his face, tearing five long, ragged lines down his left cheek.   
Luke hissed in pain, feeling warm blood pool around the gashes on his face. Reflexively, one hand went up to his cheek, and it came away caked with fresh blood. A split second later, he felt Kara hit him in the jaw. A bright flash of white pain exploded behind his eyes, and Luke felt himself fall to the right, hitting the wall. He managed to steady himself before he ended up on the floor, knowing that things would only grow worse for him if he fell. As his hands rested upon the limestone wall, he could feel the three spirits again, begging him for help. _I have to free them, _he thought, closing his eyes. _It's the only way I'll ever manage to defeat Kara._ Seconds later, Kara pounced.  
  
Callista ducked as Kara threw another slash toward her head, and then another a second later. Sweat plastered to her forehead and in her blood- soaked hair as she backed away and faced the younger woman. A shadow suddenly appeared behind Kara. Both turned and saw one of the feline creatures snatch Kara, wrapping its brown-furred, muscular arms around her upper body. Kara shrieked, and Callista felt a ripple in the Force as she threw the monster away from her. It crashed against the temple wall and slid to the floor, knocked out. Callista had no idea why one of Kara's own creatures had attacked its own master. Whatever the reason, it had distracted Kara, giving Callista just enough time to attack.   
Even as Kara turned back to face her, Callista strode forth and punched her in the face, knocking her back against the Shapeshifter. Kara looked up at her, stunned, her eyes slightly widened. She quickly recovered from it and threw one of her own blows, a jab toward Callista's neck with her sky-blue blade. Callista anticipated the attack with the Force, and her blade came up, intertwining with Kara's. She slashed the saber at her daughter's head, which Kara easily evaded. The woman spun, the blue beam sailing toward Callista's neck, which Callista ducked seconds later. The fight continued.  
  
Luke reached down deep within the endless well of the Force and pulled. Even as Kara leaped toward him, her hands outstretched toward his throat, even as the world began to spin and blur, he managed to ignore everything around him and concentrated on one thing: the temple itself. He could feel his spirit leaving the outer shell of his body, just as it had done when he had first fought Exar Kun. A haze of blue-white light suddenly surrounded him, nearly blinding him, as he entered the ethereal world, the spiritual plane. Up ahead, he saw three shapes, blurred and distorted, nearly unrecognizable. But as they approached him, he could slowly make out their faces. He saw Kyp Durron, Kirana Ti, and Streen, felt their relief as they found their Master, saw the smiles lighting their faces. I knew you would come for us, Master, Kyp spoke through the Force. Luke nodded and offered his hands to them. The three joined hands, as Kyp and Streen clasped Luke's. They stood there together in a circle, surrounded by the ever-moving light, as they let the Force flow through them, opening them back into the physical world. Luke could hear Kara's horrified scream, as distant and faraway as a dream. A bright white light engulfed the four of them, and they left the spiritual plane.  
  
Callista and Kara were at a standstill, and they both knew it. They had been fighting and exchanging blows for over ten minutes, and still neither showed any signs of giving up, despite the exhaustion and pain that permeated their bodies.  
Callista knew that she had to keep fighting. But a growing feeling of desperation began overwhelming her as she began to see no end in sight to this skirmish.  
The two women exchanged several more blows with their lightsabers, until Callista finally reached out, grabbing Kara by the throat. She tightened her grip just enough to keep her from breathing.  
Kara's free hand went up to snatch Callista's arm, and the two stood there, locked together in a deadly embrace.  
  
"No!" Kara screamed.  
Luke found himself back in the tiny room in the temple, his hands still placed on the limestone wall. He looked over and saw Callista's enraged daughter bearing down on him.  
"You'll pay for that, Jedi Master!" she snarled.  
"Do us all a favor, and shut up!" As Luke spoke, he struck Kara's body with the Force, knocking her down on her side.  
The demonic woman started to get up, and Luke ran over to snatch his fallen lightsaber. With a flick of the switch, the green blade hissed to life.  
Kara, her eyes ablaze with fury and revenge, dove down upon the Jedi-  
And let out an ear-shattering scream as the lightsaber cut into her chest.  
Kara fell down, blue flames, not blood, spewing out of her wound. Luke shielded his eyes from the power he had just unleashed, and Kara finally fell silent.  
When the fire had faded away, Luke turned back to Kara's unconscious form.  
And watched as she got back up.  
Luke raised his lightsaber, preparing to strike her again-then looked into her eyes.  
They were no longer black.  
Mother-of-pearl.  
"Tionne?" Luke asked, feeling a tremble of relief.  
"Master Skywalker?" Tionne looked around. "Where am I?"  
  
As Callista and Kara held onto each other, Callista felt something pass through her body. Her surroundings seemed to dim, become distorted, like an abstract painting, causing her to lose her focus. Her body convulsed, and she fell to the ground gasping, her grip on Kara lost.  
"Callista?"  
The voice startled Callista. She looked up, and saw the woman sprawled on the ground next to her.  
It wasn't Kara.  
And then it hit Callista. The woman she had been fighting for the past ten minutes in the Great Temple's hangar bay was not Kara. It had never been Kara.  
It was Mara Jade.  
  
"Is she gone for good?" Tionne asked as she and Luke walked down the stairs into the main hall.  
Luke was about to reply, when he heard someone approach him from behind. He spun around, expecting to see Kyp, Kirana Ti, and Streen, their spirits returned to their bodies-  
And gasped.  
A young woman stood before them, draped completely in black. Her malt- brown hair fell over her shoulders, her dark gray eyes fixated on the Jedi Master.  
"Hello, Skywalker," she hissed.  
Luke stepped back, aghast. "Kara?"  
  
Weak, Mara walked over and helped an equally weak Callista up. They stared at each other a moment, a silence two feet thick between them.  
"I thought you were-"  
"Yeah, me too."  
"I'm s..." they both said at once.  
Mara gave a small chuckle. "We weren't ourselves."  
"Thank the Force," Callista muttered, examining herself for injuries. She touched her face-a bruise there, and then some, she thought, tasting blood.  
"She is impossibly strong in the Force," Mara said, thinking out loud, face concentrated in thought. She turned to Callista. "I know how strong the dark side is." She cleared her throat, wary of breaching the subject of her past, because she knew that many people-and especially a Jedi Knight from the dark days of the Empire-could not understand her past.   
"I've seen the likes of Palpatine and Vader use it. As for this Kara-" Mara shook her head. Suddenly, her breath caught, and she stumbled backwards. Callista's head whipped up at attention, and together, they collectively gasped. "Luke."  
Callista and Mara tore through the jungle at breathtaking speed, praying that they weren't too late.  
"This isn't going to end quietly, is it?" Mara panted.  
"It doesn't look like it," Callista returned.  
A rustle in the bushes to their left stopped them both in their tracks. They held up their weapons, ready to defend themselves-  
When Kirana Ti, Streen, and Kyp Durron emerged from the foliage, looking dazed and confused.  
"What the-" Mara couldn't find the words to do justice to what stood before her.  
"You were dead!" Callista brilliantly observed.  
Kyp blinked. "M-Master Skywalker. He's fighting someone-" He looked at Callista. "She looks like you."  
  
"Surprised, Jedi Skywalker?" Kara said, her lightsaber inches from Luke's neck.  
Luke was unable to believe what he was seeing. Kara-she looked so much like Callista. She had a slightly different chin, and her hair was a bit longer, but the resemblance was amazing. He swore he was looking at the Human Replica Droid. "What do you want, Kara?"  
"Want?" She shrugged. "Oh, I just want to get my revenge on my dear old mother for abandoning me. Which means destroying everything-and everyone-she loves. Including you."  
"Kara, Callista didn't mean to-"  
"Silence!" she snapped. "How would you know what had happened, Skywalker? You weren't there! You don't know anything about what happened! I want my revenge, and I'm going to get it. This ends now!"  
She brought the lightsaber up and around, aiming to chop at Luke's neck-  
And cried out as someone snatched her by the wrist, pulling the blade away from its target.  
Luke, Tionne, and Kara turned to see Kyp Durron, alive and well, holding the woman by the arm, grinning. "We're just getting started, Kara," he said.  
Kara looked around to see Callista, Mara, Kirana Ti, and Streen standing behind Kyp, their lightsabers activated.  
"Are you going to fight us all, Kara?" Luke asked. "You can end this now."  
Kara stared at him for a few moments, and then turned slowly, studying the others. Each of them met her gaze squarely.  
She turned back to Luke, lowering her lightsaber. "No," she said. "I'm not going to fight." She grinned, looking past Luke. "They'll do that for me."  
Luke immediately spun, only to be knocked sprawling by one of the cat creatures.  
Kara smiled and gestured, using a Force push to send him rolling halfway across the temple.  
The others had no chance to react before more of the cat creatures poured into the temple. A dozen of them went down under the lightsaber blades in a few seconds, but their numbers drove the Jedi back.  
"Leave her!" Kara screamed, pointing at Callista. "She's mine to kill."  
Callista turned as the cat creatures surged past her, and saw Kara glaring at her.  
"Come, Mother," Kara said, raising her lightsaber into an attack position.  
Callista glanced at the other Jedi, and then Luke, who was climbing to his feet. She shook her head, telling him not to intervene.  
This was her fight.  
Raising her lightsaber, she walked towards her daughter.  
Kara grinned briefly and leaped over Callista's head in a twisting somersault.  
She was trained well, Callista thought as she spun and blocked Kara's lunge. She knows far more than Luke ever learned from Yoda in his abbreviated training. No wonder she could beat him that easily.  
"Reading my thoughts, Mother?" Kara asked mockingly. "The Emperor-or perhaps, Darth Sidious would be more familiar to you-trained me well. Far better than that overrated 'Emperor's Hand' over there." She sneered, gesturing towards where Mara and the others were fighting off the cat creatures.  
Callista parried a high stroke and swept her leg through Kara's, dropping her to the stone floor of the temple. "It's not too late, Kara," she said. "Vader abandoned the dark side. You can do the same. You can't win, as Luke said."  
Kara glared up at her. "As long as I destroy you," she spat. In a blurred motion, she rolled aside and extended an arm towards Callista, sending bolts of Force lightning at her.  
Callista reacted even faster, lifting her arm towards Kara, palm out, and calling on the Force. The bolts of lightning simply disappeared a meter away from her. "Don't underestimate me, Kara," she said calmly. "Master Djinn taught us about fighting dark side powers. After the appearance of Darth Maul, the first Sith for a millennia, we were prepared for them."   
Kara laughed. "Not well enough," she said contemptuously. "Sidious wiped out all of you except Yoda and Kenobi. You'll be the next Jedi to die." She swept a low cut at Callista, who somersaulted backwards to avoid the saber.  
"Did I really treat you that badly, Kara?" she asked quietly. "Your birth was the proudest moment of my life."  
Kara hesitated for a second, lowering her lightsaber fractionally, and then her gaze fell on Luke, Mara, and the others. Her face hardened again. "Don't waste your breath trying to sway me," she hissed, striding forwards. Callista swallowed, briefly feeling sorrow at the inevitable outcome of this battle. Whoever won, she would lose Kara forever. Then she pushed the regret aside and advanced to meet her daughter again. "You kill me, or you die," Kara barked, swinging her blade a hard left before spinning away from Callista's next blow. "There is no chance for my redemption, Mother," she spat. "I know my place. Your fate, I will decide."   
"I don't want to have to kill anyone today, Kara," Callista gritted. "Then you lose."   
"Kara, you are..."  
"Your daughter?" the younger mirror of herself hissed. "Your pride and joy? Then why did you abandon me?"  
"I died, child! I didn't know you were still alive!" In the backdrop of their confrontation, Luke and the others fought desperately against the cat-like creatures. Kara's eyes flickered over to the Jedi Master, reading her mother's thoughts. "All you think of is your new husband. Is my father nothing to you, too? And you didn't know because you made no effort to remember me or find me. Did the possibility not even occur to you that I was still around? No!"   
With a vicious roundkick, Kara lifted herself from the ground and flew at Callista, striking her square across the nose. Callista's lightsaber flew from her hand, skidding beneath a pile of broke rock. Kara approached sinisterly. "I thought you more of a challenge. Perhaps it was best that I never had to grow up knowing what a weak, sentimental old fool you were."  
"Callista!" Mara shot a quick bolt from her wrist blaster before shutting down the blue flame and throwing her lightsaber over to Callista. "Catch!" Mara then fired off another succession from her blaster.   
"Luke, cover me!" With that, Mara ran to where Callista's lightsaber had fallen and retrieved it, switching it on again and fighting off Kara's creatures. Callista stretched her hand out and pulled in the weapon with the Force, igniting it as soon as the metal touched her skin. Forcing herself upwards, she defended herself against Kara's next blow. "It's not over yet, Kara!" And they continued their endless battle. Callista spun to parry Kara's next swing. Her daughter advanced with every blow, preparing for the final kill. There seemed to be no way to beat her. Even if she did manage to defeat Kara, her feline creatures would destroy them all. It was then that Callista noticed the amulet her daughter wore around her neck. It peeked in and out of her tunic, glistening in the light.   
A round crystal, deep blue, like Chad's oceans. Thoughts started swimming in Callista's head. She could feel the dark side of the Force seething from the crystal, giving Kara an enormous wellspring of power.   
Perhaps the cat creatures were controlled by it. It was worth a try.   
Callista lunged at Kara, driving her against the wall. Kara dropped her lightsaber, clawing at the stones with claw-like fingers. "You can't win, Mother," she sneered. She saw Callista looking at the amulet. "You think that will destroy me? Please. That's such a fairy tale."   
"Let's find out," Callista countered. She grabbed the amulet and ripped it from around her neck. Kara lunged for it. Callista, taller than Kara, held it out of her reach. "Mara!" Callista caught her attention. Mara turned, still keeping an eye on the feline that advanced on her. "Smash it!" Callista tossed her the amulet. Mara snatched it out of the air and hurled it to the floor. In that instant, the cat leaped to pounce on her. Mara smashed it beneath her boot heel. The cat screamed and vanished, as did all the others. The Jedi stood from their defensive stances, looking around for their attackers. Kara began panting like a cornered animal. Which, to a degree, she was. Tionne, Luke, Callista, Kyp, and all the other students stood around her. "You are beaten, Kara," Callista commanded. "End this while we're all still alive."   
Kara blew air through her teeth in a wicked laugh and shook her head. "Never. Not unless you come with me!" She lunged at Callista, hands outstretched to latch around her throat. Kyp stepped in the way and pulled out his lightsaber. In a swift motion, he swung the weapon through her midriff, cleaving her in two. Mother and daughter screamed, "No!" Kara fell to the floor, finally dead. Callista fell to her knees beside her daughter. Very gently, she lifted her head and brushed the blood away from a cut on her cheek.  
"May the Force be with you, Kara." A tear slid down her cheek. Luke knelt beside her and put his hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry," he said. "She was beyond saving." Callista bit her lip and nodded. "I know. I just hoped that there would be a way." Luke nodded. "I know."  
  
The funeral pyre cast an eerie glow on the faces of the Jedi Knights. As Kara's body was consumed by flames, Callista watched with stony solemnity, her eyes focused on the face of her evil daughter. Luke stood beside her, his arms circling her waist. They didn't move until the pyre had been reduced to ashes.  
  
Mara sat on the steps of the Great Temple, struck in a thoughtful pose. Day was fading into dusk, and distantly, she could see the final fingers of smoke rising from Kara's funeral pyre.  
She sighed a heavy, remorseful sound resounding from the bottom of her gut and stirred slightly. Yavin 4 would have only more bad memories, she could sense. Far more than Kara had died today. How long it would take everyone involved to heal-she doubted anyone could determine.  
In some cases, she doubted a lifetime would do.  
Blinking, she shielded her eyes from the dipping sunset and saw a shadow figure emerging from the jungle just a bit beyond.  
Luke.  
And without Callista.  
She stood up and lifted a hand in greeting. He gave her a half- hearted wave, shoulders slump and face blank. He finally came up to her, and they stood face-to-face.  
"She's still there," he said quietly in response to her silent question.  
Mara nodded. "It's going to be a long, long road, Luke. Callista has a lot of issues here. First Cray...and now Kara. She's got ghosts she needs to face."  
He bit his lips. "I know, I know."  
Mara questioned her next action, but as she saw the agony on his face increasing tenfold per minute, she shed her inhibitions and gave her friend a comforting embrace. It was feeling altogether strange and familiar. He seemed to feel a little better, connecting again to the real world.  
"Give her time, Luke," she said softly. Pushing him gently away, she continued, "I think you know what is needed. Talk to each other, but give her space. Communicate, and most of all, love her." Mara seemed to choke on the words. "It might not be your cure-all, but it's a start."  
"Thanks," he said huskily. Straightening his back and regaining his poise, Luke attempted to push on, at least for the time. "I'm guessing you're leaving again."  
Mara shot him a wry smile. "I see you're beginning to notice a pattern developing here."  
"Mara."  
"Luke."  
"You proved yourself more than enough that you have what it takes to be a great Jedi. You have the skill, stamina, and heart of a warrior, and you have the key element of control...and self-control."  
Mara could almost visualize Luke forming the picture of Kyp sending his lightsaber through Kara.  
"...that I think, with some training, you could truly become great. Perhaps a Jedi Master."  
"We've gone through this before, Luke. It's like beating a dead bantha. My priorities lie elsewhere, my responsibilities in another world entirely. You may not think it's the right decision, but as for me, this is what I need to do right now. Corran made the same decision. You seemed to accept that. Why not me?"  
He grew silent, unable to answer her.  
"Anyway, I think I'm more than you can handle right now. You've got a lot on your mind." Her throat became tight. She blinked. Something was in her eye.  
"Will you ever be coming back?"  
"I seem to have a bad habit of doing that, so I wouldn't count it out as a possibility." Mara shifted her feet. "I should go soon. Get it ready, you know." She turned as if ready to go, but paused again, returning to Luke. "I never...I never congratulated you on your marriage," she said hesitantly. "So, I'm guessing that's what I'm doing right now."  
A reserved smile spread on his face. "Thank you, Mara."  
"Be happy, finally," she added. "Heavens know you deserve a little peace. And so does she" She winked. "Also another reason why I'm going to be making my exit early."  
He laughed. "I appreciate it, I think."  
"Luke." she hitched. "Did you ever think that...what I'm trying to say is." She paused, collecting her thoughts. Did she really want to say this? "I had a vision once-of you and me, in a...similar situation."  
He seemed puzzled.  
"A vision of us, together. In lo...Did you ever think.?"  
"Yes," he answered quickly in a voice that could have been mistaken to have been filled with tentative love, if an onlooker had not known better. A shy look overtook him. She was taken a little aback. "I once had a similar vision," he said slowly, as if remembering something. "It was like a different world, and we...let's just say that that world was also a nice place."   
She was touched. Impulsively, she reached out and touched his cheek. And then gave him a light slap on the face. "In another universe then, huh?"  
"Yeah," he murmured thoughtfully. Then in the distance, Mara could see Callista beginning her slow, sad walk back to the temple. She nudged Luke. He turned and saw his wife, her head bowed. They let her take her time and come to them. She walked up to Luke, and he slung an arm protectively around her waist. Their heads touched, and they seemed to be having their own private conversation. Embarrassed, Mara turned away.   
"Mara." It was Callista. "Can I talk to you?"   
Mara nodded, conceding to the request. Luke excused himself.   
"Thank you," Callista started, "for helping me out there. I would have been..."   
"You would have done the same, all things past aside. Think nothing of it. Some things are greater than the small things that may dominate our lives. These things need to be pushed aside." Both women were quiet for a moment. "I am sorry for your loss, Callista. I really am. I won't claim to know how you feel, but I can understand how deep it goes."   
"Thank you. Mara-"   
"Yes?" Callista pushed the hair away from her gray eyes, a moment of blunt honesty riding on her lips. "I'm sorry that I still have trouble seeing you beyond the role of the Emperor's Hand. So, I won't claim we are friends."   
Mara held up a hand to stop her. "It's okay. I'll have to admit, I still have trouble seeing with what you have become. I still see Cray, and I don't agree with the method you took in reclaiming life, but those, too, are my judgment calls. Maybe one day, we can work those things out."   
Callista nodded, and Mara let the corners of her mouth betray a kind grin. "Call us a work-in-progress," the ex-smuggler suggested. "I have to go now. Callista-take care of Luke. He cares for you more than I can dare say without gagging," she said jokingly. "I know he'll take care of you."   
_And the rest of the universe,_ she thought to herself. "Farewell, Mara," Callista called as she watched the redhead dash off to her Headhunter.   
Luke joined her side and also bid Mara goodbye. "Goodbye, Skywalkers!" Mara yelled, disappearing and leaving husband and wife alone together, but not before casting one last, lingering look at whom she was leaving. "May the Force be with you."  
  
The gaseous ball of Yavin loomed overhead, casting a bronzing glow over the jungle as they carried into the evening.  
Callista stood atop the Temple of the Blueleaf Cluster alone, marveling at the turn her life had taken. Only a month ago, she had been less than a lingering ghost on a doomed ship, condemned to an eternal prison there. Now, she was married to Luke Skywalker.  
Luke Skywalker. The thought of his name alone filled her with pleasure. Her stomach fluttered, and her heart pounded with every breath.  
They had endured so much in the month since they had met, in the week since their wedding. And Callista knew that it was not only a beginning to their trials.  
But a beginning to their lives, as well.  
Staring out over the broad vista of Yavin 4, Callista found herself smiling.  
Her smile increased as her husband slipped his arms around her waist from behind.  
"I wondered where you were," he whispered into her hair, kissing her ear.  
She reached behind her and touched his hair, which blew gently in the twilight breeze. "Did you?"  
Luke chuckled. "No, I knew where you were the whole time. I could sense you."  
She turned around and kissed him.  
"What did I do to warrant that?" he said.  
"Existed," she said simply. "Luke, when you sensed me, did you sense...anything else?"  
"Like what, exactly?" he said.  
Callista turned in his arms teasingly, pressing her back against his chest and returning her gaze to the jungle. "Like a baby, for example?"  
Luke thought about that; then she looked at him. "Go on; reach out. You can feel it inside me."  
Luke obeyed, sending questing tendrils out towards her.  
She was right.  
Callista was going to have a baby.  
Their baby.  
He hugged her close with a happy laugh. "Callista." he said simply, stopping before his tears choked his voice.  
But there was nothing else he needed to say.


End file.
